Asia Cup 2025: Gautam Gambhir Faces Criticism for U-Turn on Sanju Samson in Bangladesh Clash
Gautam Gambhir faces heat for pushing Sanju Samson to No. 8 in India’s Asia Cup Super Fours win over Bangladesh in Dubai.
India’s batting order came under scrutiny during their Asia Cup 2025 Super Fours clash against Bangladesh in Dubai, with head coach Gautam Gambhir facing flak for sending Sanju Samson to bat at No. 8.
The move surprised many, especially since assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate had just a day earlier assured that Samson was being backed as India’s No. 5 option in T20Is.
“Sanju has had two decent chances and he’s still figuring out how to play that role (at No. 5). The surface got a little bit tired in the Pakistan game. We’re really looking for a No. 5. We believe Sanju is the best man for that job, and we’ve got no doubt he’ll figure out how to play that role in the future,”
Samson, who has been in explosive form since the 2024 T20 World Cup with three centuries in 12 innings as an opener, has also been tested at No. 3 and No. 5 during this tournament.
Against Bangladesh, however, Shivam Dube was promoted to No. 3 but failed, while Hardik Pandya came in at No. 5. Tilak Varma and Axar Patel were also slotted ahead of Samson, who eventually did not face a ball as India closed on 168 for six.
Former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh did not mince words, calling Gambhir’s call “simply unacceptable”.
“Sanju Samson at no 8 defies any cricketing logic. It’s simply unacceptable.”
Many fans echoed the sentiment online, questioning why a proven match-winner was left stranded so low in the order.
Despite the controversy, Abhishek Sharma once again stood out, smashing a 37-ball 75 that cemented his position as the world’s No. 1 ranked T20I batter. He and Shubman Gill stitched a blazing 77-run stand in just 38 balls, including 72 in the powerplay India’s best start of the tournament.
The rest of the lineup failed to capitalise, with Gill, Tilak Varma, and skipper Suryakumar Yadav falling cheaply. Yadav was dismissed courtesy of a sharp catch by Bangladesh’s stand-in captain Jaker Ali.
India’s bowlers later defended the total to secure another win, but Samson’s demotion has raised serious questions about the team’s batting plans ahead of the final stages of the tournament.
