Player focus: What roles could Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma play for India at Asia Cup 2025?
Jitesh Sharma to get the nod ahead of Samson?
India are now just 48 hours away from setting off on their title defence at the 2025 Asia Cup, with their first match of the competition scheduled for September 10 against the UAE. All games will be covered in our cricket predictions, so be sure to check them.
The Men in Blue are the reigning champions of this competition and the favourites to win it again this year, though this is not only about their title defence, but will also serve as preparation for the T20I World Cup next year.
Gautam Gambhir and his selection panel have called up several Asia Cup debutants for this tournament as they look to build toward the ICC showpiece in 2026, and one player who has been under the spotlight in the lead-up is Sanju Samson.
Samson was in sensational form for the national team toward the end of last year when he notched up three T20I centuries, and that was followed by an impressive run at the Indian Premier League, which ultimately led to him edging Rishabh Pant for a spot in the squad this month.
However, the 30-year-old wicket-keeper batsman’s place in the team is far from guaranteed, with Jitesh Sharma, who helped the Royal Challengers win the IPL, still firmly in the picture to make the starting 11 for India’s opening fixture.
In fact, it was Sharma who was spotted sporting the gloves behind the stumps during India’s first training session at the ICC Academy in Dubai over the weekend, while Samson was reportedly left out of all the team’s fielding drills, suggesting that he may sit out their opener in midweek.
Abhishek Sharma to partner Shubman Gill as India’s openers?
While Samson’s selection for India’s opening fixture at the 2025 Asia Cup is still up in the air, the same cannot be said for rising star Abhishek Sharma, who was also called up to the team for this tournament.
The 25-year-old has spent two impressive seasons with the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, which earned him a spot in India’s T20I squad last year. He was dismissed for a duck on debut but bounced back with a blistering century off just 46 deliveries against Zimbabwe in his second match.
Sharma will now enter the Asia Cup having notched up 365 runs, including a ton and two half-centuries, at a strike rate of 214.70 in his last seven innings, with that three-digit haul coming in just 37 balls - the second-fastest ever by an Indian batter.
During Sunday’s training session, Sharma was seen partnering India captain Shubman Gill in the nets, suggesting that the pair are likely to step out at the top of the order for the Men in Blue’s match against the tournament hosts.
The dynamic left-hander will also have the opportunity to etch his name in the history books if he does make the starting lineup, as he is just four sixes away from breaking Shikhar Dhawan’s record (25) for the most maximums struck in a calendar year.
