Suryakumar Yadav has confirmed that Sanju Samson will be India's opener in the T20I series against Bangladesh, which is slated to start from October 6, Sunday.
Right ahead of the T20I series opener in Gwalior, India captain Suryakumar revealed that Samson will be the opener for the series. Samson will be seen opening for India alongside Abhishek Sharma. The Mumbai batter is anticipated to bat at his preferred No. 3 position, while Assam all-rounder Riyan Parag, who made his India debut in July, is expected to take the field at No. 4. Although captain Suryakumar Yadav has opened the batting in this format for India, in domestic cricket for Mumbai, and in the IPL for Mumbai Indians, his destructive capabilities at batting positions No. 3 and No. 4 are unmatched.
While talking about the Gwalior International Cricket Stadium's pitch, the explosive batter said that wicket didn't not look low and slow and is conducive for T20 cricket.
"Sanju Samson will be the opener for the series. The wicket did not look low, slow. When it comes to T20 cricket, the wickets are good," Suryakumar said, in the pre-match press conference on Saturday, October 5.
"It is a challenge. We know what are the conditions and pitches. Even dew factor is being considered. We have an idea of what we need to do. If everyone contributes, you will get the result," he added.
Another chance for Samson to prove mettle
Samson has opened the batting in five of the 30 T20Is he has played for India. Excluding his 77-run knock against Ireland in 2022, Samson has limited success at the top of the order. However, at the beginning of his IPL career with the Rajasthan Royals, he found great success during the powerplay. Despite currently batting at No. 3, Samson's ability to play destructive shots against the new ball makes him a valuable asset to the team.
These three T20Is against Bangladesh present a golden opportunity for Samson to solidify his place in the T20I XI. With the next T20 World Cup two years away, these matches offer him a better platform than any other to showcase his skills as both a keeper and opener.
Samson was selected as the first-choice keeper for this series after the selection committee decided to give Rishabh Pant a break. Pant had been playing non-stop cricket since his return to the IPL earlier this year.
I'm enjoying captaincy: Suryakumar Yadav
While talking about his captaincy, the 34-year-old admitted that he is enjoying the new role. Suryakumar was appointed India's T20I captain right before the series against Sri Lanka, where he led the Men in Blue to 3-0 triumph.
"I am enjoying this role. When I played under Rohit in IPL, I got lot of captaincy inputs. In the past series, I have learnt from other captains as to how to take the team forward," he further stated.
