Sanju Samson demands a spot in India Playing XI for Asia Cup 2025 with a fiery ton at KCL
Getting a spot in the national squad is arguably a revered opportunity for any player. However, when selection does not guarantee a place in the Playing XI, even after nearly a year of impressive performances, the call-up does not feel as sweet. Named in the India squad for Asia Cup 2025, the announcement could hardly be described as uplifting for Sanju Samson. Calculating permutations and combinations is not something a player can do to secure his place. What he can do, however, is compel the decision-makers to include him in the final India Playing XI. Samson did just that, blasting a century in the Kerala Cricket League.
Asia Cup 2025: Sanju Samson stakes claim to a spot in the India Playing XI with a blazing ton at KCL
Sanju Samson made a resounding statement just days before the Asia Cup 2025 takes center stage in the India cricket schedule. The wicketkeeper batter hammered a 42-ball hundred in the Kerala Cricket League. Lined up as India’s back-up opener for the tournament, Samson showcased the kind of form that could force the selectors to rethink.
Opening for the first time this KCL season, the Kerala batter was at his fluent best as he drove Kochi Blue Tigers within touching distance of a daunting 237-run chase. His fireworks produced 121 runs off just 51 deliveries, laced with 14 fours and 7 towering sixes, before he fell in the penultimate over. The job was eventually finished by Muhammad Ashik, whose unbeaten 45 from 18 balls sealed another victory for the side.
Although Samson has been included in the India squad for Asia Cup 2025, chief selector Ajit Agarkar has already indicated that Shubman Gill will partner Abhishek Sharma at the top. Shubman Gill is returning to the fray after a year. As the youngster shifts his focus back to the shorter format, the BCCI has handed him India’s vice-captaincy. Gill, who is currently reported to be unwell, will be guaranteed a spot in the India Playing XI if he recovers in time.
In Gill's year-long absence from the format, India opened the T20I attack with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma. Both openers quickly made the position their own with blazing performances. Abhishek has emerged as India’s highest run-scorer in T20Is since the 2024 T20 World Cup triumph. Samson, meanwhile, stands second on the list with 487 runs in 16 innings, scored at a strike rate of 171.47. The wicketkeeper has also notched up three centuries during this period.
However, as the BCCI looks for a way to fit vice-captain Shubman Gill into the mix, it is Samson who seems set to face the axe. In the press conference following the announcement of India’s squad for the Asia Cup, Agarkar explained that Samson had been part of the fray only because of Gill and Jaiswal’s absence from T20Is. The chief selector’s remarks offered enough clarity to predict the first-choice combination for India Playing XI at the Asia Cup.
That likely leaves Samson waiting in the wings or slotting lower down the order. But Sunday’s innings at at KCL offered a timely reminder of his value, putting pressure on the team management ahead of the Asia Cup. The century also marked a personal milestone, as it was Samson’s first outing as an opener in this KCL campaign after batting down the order in earlier matches. More importantly, it powered Kochi Blue Tigers to their third straight win. The 30-year-old reached fifty in just 16 balls and never took his foot off the pedal, dismantling the Aries Kollam Sailors attack with ease.
For Samson, the knock wasn’t just about numbers, it served as a morale booster and a fitting reply to the doubts surrounding his place in the India Playing XI. Even with his brother standing at the other end, the India international kept his celebrations subdued, letting the bat do all the talking. While it is unlikely for India to leave out Gill from the mix, the vice-captain could be made to bat at No.3 at the cost of Tilak Varma, if the selectors incline towards playing Gill and Samson together.
India squad for Asia Cup 2025
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (WK), Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson (WK), Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh
Reserve players: Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Prasidh Krishna
