Follow UsSanju Samson finally got his chance with the bat in the Asia Cup 2025, and made it count - albeit in a rather uncharacteristic way. Against Oman in Abu Dhabi on September 19 (Friday), the wicketkeeper-batter crafted a 56 off 45 balls, his slowest-ever fifty in T20Is.
Having lost his opening slot to Shubman Gill, Samson walked in at No.3 after missing out with the bat in India’s first two games against the UAE and Pakistan. He struck three fours and three sixes, but never quite found his trademark fluency.
It took him 41 deliveries to raise his half-century - the slowest of his T20I career, with his previous slowest coming off 39 balls against Zimbabwe in July 2024.
The contrast was stark. Since that Zimbabwe innings, Samson has blazed away with three centuries - two at strike rates north of 200 and one at 194.64. Here, though, he laboured at 124.44, his lowest strike rate in any 50-plus T20I innings.
Samson eventually fell to left-arm seamer Shah Faisal in the 18th over, but still top-scored for India, finishing well ahead of Gill (5), the man who has pushed him down the order.