NEW DELHI: With the Asia Cup around the corner, the composition of India's playing XI has become the hottest topic of discussion, with the battle for the first-choice wicketkeeper - between Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma - taking center stage.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra shared his suggestion, emphasising his pick for the wicketkeeper-batter's role in the squad set to take the field from September 9.
Chopra stressed that Samson's consistency, power-hitting, and experience make him the most deserving candidate for the keeper-batter slot.
"Sanju Samson has struck three centuries in the last 12 matches. He is also part of the team at the moment. So, of course, he will be the first guy to talk about a keeper-batter role. If we see his numbers in the top three in all T20s, he has scored more than 6,000 runs at a strike rate of 140 and an average of 33. These are truly good numbers," Chopra remarked on his YouTube channel.
Samson's blistering form adds weight to Chopra's argument. In his last 10 T20I outings, the right-hander has delivered fireworks with the bat, smashing 111 against Bangladesh and 107 versus South Africa, while frequently maintaining strike rates well above 200.
Meanwhile, Jitesh Sharma brings his own credentials to the table. Renowned as a reliable finisher, he heads into the Asia Cup on the back of a standout IPL campaign, where he was instrumental in guiding Royal Challengers Bengaluru to their maiden title with several pressure-lifting, match-winning knocks.
India will open their campaign against the UAE on September 10 in Dubai, before locking horns with arch-rivals Pakistan in a much-anticipated clash on September 14 at the same venue. Their final group-stage fixture is set for September 19 in Abu Dhabi, where they will face Oman.
