Former Indian player Kris Srikkanth believes wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has been struggling with the change in his batting position in T20Is. He did well at the opening role for India in T20Is post their 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. However, Samson scored three centuries and averaged 37 at a strike rate of 183 in 13 innings as an opener as well. However, with the inclusion of Shubman Gill in the T20I squad since the recent Asia Cup, Samson has been relegated to the middle-order.

“The guy who’s most unlucky is Sanju Samson. He was scoring centuries as an opener. But now they send him everywhere from 3 to 8. If given an opportunity, they may send him at 11 also. So a person like Sanju also will feel bad, having done so well at the top. But he has no option but to be tight-lipped and bat wherever the team asks him to. The only good thing is he did well at 5 in the Asia Cup. It’s a good sign for him because now Sanju is the automatic choice as the first wicketkeeper for the T20 World Cup. He is sure to bat at No. 5,” he said in his youtube channel.

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Kris Srikkanth also believes Team India will likely play the same playing 11 for the T20 World Cup next year as well.

“The 11 that played today is more or less the one for the T20 World Cup. Hardik Pandya will come into the 11 for Harshit Rana. That’ll be the 11 for the World Cup. Arshdeep might have to miss out again because of the combination as we have to play three spinners,” said Srikkanth. “Dube can’t be dropped because India have won whenever he has played. He somehow ends up taking wickets even with his medium-pace bowling. So he’s your sixth option. So the team is almost set for the T20 World Cup. Now it’s all just about having match practice and getting into the rhythm.”