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IPL 2025: Sanju Samson doesn’t have a choice but to open for RR: Ashwin
Follow UsAshwin also insisted that the Indian management should be clear about their communication with the players
When Rajasthan Royals let go of Jos Buttler at the IPL 2025 Mega Auction, it was all but confirmed that they would be looking to open with Sanju Samson and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Samson's national team ambitions where he opens the batting makes it clear despite franchise not confirming it.
On his YouTube channel, Ravichandran Ashwin jumped into this discussion, admitting that Samson is most ‘likely’ to open the batting for the Royals, adding that if he doesn’t, it makes room for a new conversation. As an opener, Samson has scored 1,647 runs, with three centuries and 10 50s.
“Sanju Samson has to most likely open the batting for RR, if he doesn’t open, it will give room for people to speculate and have opinions. He has to open with Yashasvi Jaiswal, he doesn’t have a choice. I think that will happen also,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Addressing the Indian management’s tough decision of picking up a squad for the shortest format, Ashwin said the key will be to ‘have a great communication channel’. He also insisted that having solid communication is far more important in the shortest format than in the longer formats.
“It is a problem of plenty in India, to pick from a pool of 25 players is quite tough. What the management can do is have a great communication channel, “This is the mistake, wait for your turn, or you are third in the pecking order,” have the communication clear. It is more so important in T20 cricket than in other formats. Whoever is managing the teams should be sensitive about this. We should back him to the tilt,” he added.
Mohammed Shami has returned to the Indian ODI scheme of things for the first time since the 2023 ODI World Cup final against Australia after fighting off injuries. Ashwin wished the pacer luck before his comeback.
“Congratulations to Shami on his comeback. It is quite tough for a pacer to make a comeback from a knee injury. He’s been in the news for a long time, he’s given good performances in domestic cricket and has been valued, too. So happy for him, and I hope that it goes well for him and Indian cricket as well.”