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The third T20I between India and Bangladesh saw Sanju Samson notch up his maiden hundred in the format. Samson's brilliant innings saw the Men in Blue post an imposing 297-run total which was always going to be out of the Tigers' reach.
Samson had previously struggled to convert his starts into knocks of substance in the shortest format. Both he and the team management will hope that his Hyderabad epic is the start of a consistent run in T20Is, with planning underway for the next edition of the T20 World Cup.
There are many positions Samson can occupy in the T20I side, none more suitable than at the top of the order. While one spot seems to be nailed down already, the other is likely up for grabs.
On that note, here are three reasons why Sanju Samson should be Yashasvi Jaiswal's opening partner in India's first-choice T20I side.
#3 Sanju Samson is an intent machine who has everything it takes to succeed in the powerplay
Yashasvi Jaiswal is so dangerous as a T20 opener because of the intent he shows, and Sanju Samson is no different. Capable of attacking both pace and spin, the Kerala keeper-batter has everything it takes to succeed as an opener.
Samson's best T20 runs have come at No. 3, and since that position is currently occupied by one of the best batters in the world in the form of Suryakumar Yadav, it's only natural that he's slotted in at the top of the order.
The third T20I against Bangladesh showed how well Samson can capitalize on the powerplay and then take on the spinners in the middle overs. He's a top-quality player, and there need not be any doubts regarding his ability in the shortest format.
#2 Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma haven't been convincing enough
While Jaiswal is a virtual certainty at the top of the order in T20Is, the others who have been tried out - Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma - haven't been too convincing.
In eight T20Is in 2024, Gill has averaged 38 at a strike rate of 133. Last year, while his strike rate was better at 145.12, he averaged just 26.00. The 25-year-old also had an underwhelming campaign in the 2024 Indian Premier League.
Abhishek, meanwhile, hasn't done much of note outside his maiden T20I hundred against Zimbabwe. The left-hander seems to be struggling with finding the right balance between attack and defense, and his pairing with Jaiswal doesn't look great on paper irrespective of that.
Samson has recorded an average of 31.43 and a strike rate of 167.94 in T20Is in 2024, numbers that are better than those of Gill and Abhishek. He has also done this while being shunted up and down the order.
#1 India won't need to worry about a wicket-keeper in the middle order
Rishabh Pant was India's wicket-keeper at the 2024 T20 World Cup. While the Men in Blue won the title in the tournament, Pant, who batted at No. 3, wasn't overly convincing.
Pant takes time to get going, something that cannot be afforded in T20 cricket. He also has evident shortcomings against spin, with his range of shots and ability to press the accelerator coming into question.
Apart from Pant, the likes of Ishan Kishan, KL Rahul, Jitesh Sharma and Dhruv Jurel are the options at India's disposal. None of them have cases to be picked ahead of Pant and Samson right now.
If Samson plays at the top of the order alongside Jaiswal, India have no reason to worry about having a wicket-keeper in the middle order. They can play pace-bowling all-rounders like Nitish Kumar Reddy and Hardik Pandya, with spin-bowling all-rounders such as Riyan Parag and Tilak Varma being options as well.
