Sanju Samson not batting enough at number five and six doesn't mean he can't do the job there, said India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak on Friday while expressing confidence in the Kerala dasher's ability ahead of the Asia Cup clash against Pakistan.
Test captain Shubman Gill also doesn't fit in the Indian T20 line-up, which has a settled top three in Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Suryakumar Yadav-led India ready for Aussie challenge as T20 World Cup preparation begins.
Abhishek Sharma's brutal yet beautiful stroke-play was the highlight of India's optional net session on Tuesday
Yorkers on the field, reels off it -- Arshdeep Singh is mastering both games. The left-arm pacer, already India's leading T20I wicket-taker, is fast becoming cricket's social media star.
After Sanju Samson was included in India's 15-member squad for the T20 World Cup, Sri Lanka great and Rajasthan Royals Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara believes the 29-year-old will succeed in the upcoming global showpiece if he wins the race to be first-choice wicket-keeper for Men in Blue at the prestigious event.
When I interviewed Alishan Sharafu as a 14-year-old schoolboy following his huge scores in domestic matches, he told me he wanted to bat like A B de Villiers.
Sanju Samson breathed a sigh of relief as he struck his maiden One Day International century during the third ODI against South Africa at the Boland Park stadium in Paarl on Thursday.
The inclusion of Gill in the squad has raised doubts in the minds of management about who will open the innings for their side, along with left-hand batter Abhishek, in the tournament.
The Bellerive Oval is one ground where the side boundaries are smaller in size, hence hitting the right lengths would be paramount considering anything short would be flying over cover, point, square leg or mid-wicket on either side of the fence.
Defending champions India had a full-fledged practice session at the ICC Academy in Dubai on Friday as they put the finishing touches to their Asia Cup preparations.
Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson has been fined Rs 12 lakh after his team maintained a slow over rate during the Indian Premier League match against Gujarat Titans in Jaipur.
Tickets for the match on September 14 are in huge demand than for any other match. Most journalists are also arriving only in time for this match, even skipping India's opening match against the UAE on September 10.
While CSK had one of its worst seasons in 2025, Ashwin played just nine games, taking seven wickets at an economy rate of 9.12.
'Easily the best innings of his career so far.'
'We have players who can do that. If all of us try that, it's a team sport, but this is the time when we need individual players to step up.'
'We cannot deny that Pakistan also played brilliantly.'
Although Shubman Gill's return to the T20 side has cast a shadow over Sanju Samson's place in the playing XI for the Asia Cup in the UAE, the hard-hitting wicketkeeper-batter will be counting on head coach Gautam Gambhir, who has often spoken highly of his positive attitude.
Yuzvendra Chahal came up with an adorable post to wish wife Dhanashree, while Sanju Samson celebrated his fifth wedding anniversary.
Former Australian opener Mathew Hayden is mighty impressed with the IPL performance of Sanju Samson and has lauded the T20 World Cup-bound power-hitter for "handling both spin and pace with finesse".
Shubman Gill is the flavour of the season after his stupendous show in the recent Test series against England but he will face a contender in Axar Patel for vice-captaincy
Josh Hazlewood clinically dismantled a famed Indian top-order with a probing spell to kill the contest as Australia cantered to a four-wicket victory in the second T20 International.
India will be keen to get the job done against Bangladesh and seal their place in Sunday's final before considering resting their players.
Abhishek Sharma reached 931 ratings point, which is 12 more than the previous best rating of 919 attained by England's Dawid Malan in 2020.
India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement from the Indian Premier League on Wednesday, bringing curtains down on a 16-year-long association with the tournament within months of calling it quits from international cricket.
'I prefer to have Sanju in the middle-order because he has a lot of shots.'
Arshdeep Singh performing under pressure in the Super Over against Sri Lanka can be attributed to meditation and yoga that he practices regularly.
Seldom has an India vs Pakistan clash played with such a volatile backdrop, where cricket seems inseparably knotted with off-field tension, provocative gestures, and fines slapped on both camps.
'My bat did its work, and they (Pakistan) did not get a chance to speak.'
Sanju Samson on Wednesday said 'a few of us are not 100 percent' fit
Shubman Gill and Jasprit Bumrah returned to India's T20 squad for next month's Asia Cup, but IPL star performers Shreyas Iyer and Yashasvi Jaiswal missed out.
A cryptic Instagram post from the RR captain has sent fans into overdrive, sparking intense speculation about a potential move to the Chennai Super Kings.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav said his side will not hold back on aggression in the high-voltage Asia Cup clash against Pakistan on September 14.
India Captain Suryakumar Yadav put sportsmanship on full display in the Asia Cup 2025 opener in Dubai on Wednesday
Abhishek Sharma's scintillating 75 was beautifully complemented by Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy as India comfortably hammered Bangladesh by 41 runs to enter the Asia Cup final in Dubai on Wednesday.
Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper Sanju Samson continued his fine run in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, overtaking English batter Jos Buttler to have the most fifty-plus scores for the franchise in T20 cricket.
According to sources, the ICC fined Pakistan tearaway, Rauf, while opening batter Sahibzada Farhan received a warning for his controversial celebration gesture during the Super Fours fixture against arch-rival India at the ongoing Asia Cup.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav will depend heavily on his spin troika as India gear up for yet another demolition act of Pakistan in what promises to be an intense and tense Super 4 face-off of the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav has found himself in the spotlight for a brief moment of forgetfulness at the toss during their Asia Cup fixture against Oman in Dubai on Friday.
Such has been the problem of plenty for selectors in the T20 format that they are finding it difficult to even accommodate Yashasvi Jaiswal -- a proven performer in T20 cricket.
