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No Samson? Ajinkya Rahane Reveals India's Probable Playing 11 For Asia Cup 2025
Follow UsGill has been recalled to India’s T20I squad after more than a year and has been named vice-captain, practically confirming his spot in the XI
Former Indian captain Ajinkya Rahane believes that Sanju Samson will be dropped from India’s playing XI to accommodate Shubman Gill in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025, starting on September 9 in the UAE. Gill has been recalled to India’s T20I squad after more than a year and has been named vice-captain, practically confirming his spot in the XI.
Despite being hampered by injuries, Samson still managed 285 runs in nine matches at an average of 35.63 and a strike rate of 140.4 in the IPL 2025. In T20Is, he has three centuries in his last 18 innings but has struggled in other games, scoring just 160 runs at 11.4, including eight scores of 5 or below.
In India’s last T20I series against England in February, Samson managed scores of 16, 1, 3, 5, and 26. Rahane acknowledged Samson’s value to the team but suggested that Gill could open alongside Abhishek Sharma in the Asia Cup.
“Shubman is back in the team, I’m sure he is most likely to open with Abhishek Sharma. Personally, I would like to see Sanju Samson in the team because he has done really well. He is a very confident guy, a very good team man, and that is very important,” Rahane said on his YouTube channel, as reported by TOI.
“Sanju is a great team man, but that is a very good problem to have for the team management. In my opinion, probably Sanju Samson will sit out, though as I said, I would like him to play and be in the playing XI. But Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma will open the innings for the team.”
Rahane also expressed his excitement about Jasprit Bumrah returning to the T20I fold for the first time since the 2024 T20 World Cup. The right-arm pacer will form a lethal pace duo alongside Arshdeep Singh.
“I’m really excited to see Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh bowling together in this Asia Cup. We all know how dangerous Bumrah is. Arshdeep swings the ball both ways and can deliver both straight and wide yorkers.”
Ajinkya Rahane’s Probable Playing XI For Asia Cup 2025:
Shubman Gill, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Hardik Pandya, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy/Harshit Rana
(Image credit: PTI)