IND vs SA 2025: Suryakumar Yadav Reveals Why Shubman Gill Replaced Sanju Samson as T20I Opener
Shubman Gill returns as T20I vice captain while Samson shifts to a flexible middle order role as India plan for the SA series.
Shubman Gill is back in India’s T20I side after 14 months and has also been named vice captain. His return has brought fresh attention to India’s opening plans for the South Africa series.
Gill was picked to open in the Asia Cup even though Sanju Samson had struck three hundreds in five T20Is at the top. Suryakumar Yadav said this decision was about keeping the role unchanged because Gill had already opened for India in the Sri Lanka series in July 2024 under his captaincy.
Samson was moved to the middle order after that call. He managed one fifty in five innings and was then replaced by Jitesh Sharma on the Australia tour. The team saw Samson as someone who could float between positions, which made his role less fixed.
Suryakumar said he views only the openers as locked in. Everyone else must be ready to move around from No. 3 to 6 based on the game situation. He praised Samson for staying open to any role.
“In terms of Sanju, when he came onto the circuit, he batted higher up the order. Now the thing is, other than the openers, I feel everyone else has to be very flexible. He really did well when he opened the innings. But Shubman has played before him in the Sri Lanka series, so he deserved to take that spot,” Suryakumar said in the pre match press conference.
“We gave Sanju Samson opportunities, he was ready to bat at any number. It’s good to see a player being ready to bat in any position,” he said.
Jitesh is likely to start the South Africa series, but Samson remains in the mix. The team sees both as options across roles, whether in the middle or even at the top if needed.
“From 3 to 6, anywhere. I have told this to all the batters, other than the openers, everyone has to be flexible. Both are in the scheme of things. It’s always good to have both of them as part of the squad. One can open, one can bat lower down the order. Both can do all the roles. It’s an asset to our team and a good headache to have,” Suryakumar added.
The conversation around Gill and Samson is not about one replacing the other. It is more about keeping continuity at the top and valuing Samson’s ability to adapt in a line up that demands quick role changes as India prepares for the 2026 T20 World Cup.
