Mohammad Kaif, a former Indian cricketer, recently batted for Sanju Samson to replace Tilak Varma at No. 3 in the forthcoming Asia Cup in 2025. Samson is one of the 15 players in the team captained by Suryakumar Yadav. Although the Hyderabad batter’s support from the management for the No. 3 place is not surprising, Kaif disagrees.
Mohammad Kaif believed Tilak had age on his side and could wait on the sidelines for his moment. Taking into account that the T20 World Cup will be held in India and Sri Lanka the following year, he argued for Sanju at number three. The former cricket player, who is now a YouTuber, has advocated for Samson batting one down while also mentioning his experience in the format in light of the impending international tournament.
“Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill will open (in the Asia Cup). For the No. 3 spot, I feel Tilak Varma is a youngster and can wait for his turn. Sanju is an experienced batter, and he could be groomed by giving him consistent opportunities at No. 3. There is a World Cup after six months, and he deserves a chance,” stated Kaif in a video on his YouTube channel.
The Uttar Pradesh native stressed the fact that Sanju Samson could strike maximums straight at the head of the bowler, something that almost no player can achieve perfectly. He also spoke of Samsons performances in the IPL where the Kerala native is the captain of the Rajasthan Royals, and in South Africa last year in the away series.
“He is among the top 10 six-hitters in the IPL. That’s why I believe when Rashid Khan comes to bowl in the middle overs, there cannot be a better player against him than Sanju, as he can hit sixes down the ground. South Africa has one of the toughest conditions for batting, and he has hit two centuries as an opener there. He plays both pace and spin well, and in the IPL, he scores 400-500 runs every year.”
Mohammad Kaif
According to several rumors, India would start with Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill in the opening pair, with Jitesh Sharma serving as the middle-order wicketkeeper-batter. Sanju will consequently be forced to sit out of the starting lineup.
