Mohammad Kaif believes Sanju Samson might be utilized in the middle order if Abhishek Sharma returns to the playing XI for India’s forthcoming T20 World Cup match against Pakistan on Sunday, February 15 at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. The former India batsman urged that Rinku Singh make way for Abhishek.
Samson had played the final game against Namibia and had scored 22 off eight balls. During the same time period, Rinku featured in both India’s games against the United States and Namibia. The southpaw’s numbers are 6 (14) and 1 (6).
“The kind of start Sanju gave, he made 22 off eight balls. That means he played very aggressively. So I feel, can Sanju be adjusted somewhere in the lineup? Let Abhishek Sharma open. Fine. But can you bring Sanju in place of Rinku? Of course, Rinku has not played much in World Cups, only two matches. He is a good player, there is no doubt about that. He is a very good player. But Sanju is an experienced batter and has also captained a lot. So I wonder, can you fit Sanju in place of Rinku?” Kaif asked during a live session on his YouTube channel.
Samson is good at playing spin and the R. Premadasa Stadium is likely to help the tweakers,” said Kaif. Cricketer-turned-expert, Gautam Gambhir also pointed out Samson’s batting and captaincy experience over Rinku. Kaif also pointed to the fact that Samson had batted in the middle-order during Asia Cup 2025, so it wouldn’t be an alien role for him.
“Sanju plays spin well, and in the Asia Cup he was batting at No. 5 or 6. You might remember that when India played Pakistan recently, Sanju was used in the middle order. So will the Indian team think along those lines? I understand that Rinku has played two matches and is a good player, but if you keep Sanju in the side and add Abhishek at the top, the team could become even stronger against a good spin track and a strong spin attack.”
Mohammad Kaif
