Veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has questioned the team management for playing Jitesh Sharma in place of Sanju Samson in the third T20I against Australia. He added that Jitesh, who was assumed to be India’s likely first-choice wicketkeeper-batter when Shubman Gill started opening, wasn’t given a chance in the entire Asia Cup 2025 as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ he said, “Jitesh Sharma has played and Sanju Samson hasn’t played. So, what does it mean? I would say do not read anything between the lines for a simple reason, that we are unable to understand. Why are we searching for logic? When Shubman Gill started opening, it was assumed Jitesh Sharma would only play down the order.”
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“The entire Asia Cup passed and he didn’t play. First Sanju played down the order and then up the order. Sanju played in the final as well and scored a few important runs. Now you sent him at No. 3 in one innings and then dropped him after that. I know Sanju’s fans will be rightly angry, but I don’t see any finality in this, that he won’t be there and Jitesh Sharma will only play because this was a slightly randomized selection,” he further added.
However, Aakash Chopra also shared that Shubman Gill hasn’t been among the runs on the Australian tour as well.
“Shubman Gill needs to be spoken about because he is unable to score runs. He played well in Canberra in the first match. In Melbourne, the ball hit him on his head and he played a slightly loose shot as well, and here he got out to an absolutely full ball,” he said.
“There is a question mark. You are coming under pressure. It is not a good thing. I won’t say even for once that Shubman Gill is out of form because he has been in incredible form in 2025, but he is short of runs at the moment. ODI series, Asia Cup, and this now, and with Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal breathing down his neck, Shubman Gill needs to score runs in the two remaining games,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
