IND vs BAN, Asia Cup 2025: Sanju Samson's Baffling Demotion in Batting Order Leaves Fans Furious
Synopsis
In the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash against Bangladesh, Sanju Samson was demoted in the batting order and denied a chance to bat. The move to promote Shivam Dube and Axar Patel ahead of him left netizens furious, questioning India’s management.
Despite being trusted with the No.5 spot in India’s batting line-up, Sanju Samson was further demoted in the order in the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash against Bangladesh at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday, September 24.
After being put to bat first by Bangladesh’s stand-in Jaker Ali, Team India posted a total of 168/6 in 20 overs. Abhishek Sharma once again anchored the top order and unleashed his firepower as he played a brilliant knock of 75 off 37 balls and formed a 77-run stand for the opening wicket with Shubman Gill, who scored 29 off 19 balls.
Amid hiccups in the middle order, Hardik Pandya stood tall as he stabilized the innings with his crucial knock of 38 off 29 balls, guiding the defending champions to a respectable total and setting up a 169-run target for Bangladesh to chase. Hardik’s 39-run stand for the sixth wicket with Axar Patel (10*) proved crucial in helping India recover from a precarious position and reach a defendable total in a crucial clash.
No batting opportunity for Sanju Samson
As Team India posted a respectable total on the board, Sanju Samson did not get a chance to bat in the Super 4 clash against Bangladesh. There were changes in the batting order, with Shivam Dube promoted to No.3, while Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma were pushed down to No.4 and No.6 in the batting order, respectively.
Surprisingly, Axar Patel was batted at No.7 instead of No.8, leaving Samson, who was slated to bat at No.5, without an opportunity to wield his willow. Samson was supposed to walk in bat after the fall of the third wicket, but Hardik Pandya was promoted up the order to stabilize the innings. After Tilak Varma’s dismissal at 129/5, Axar was sent ahead of Kerala cricketer, leaving Sanju Samson still sidelined as India’s innings concluded at 168/6.
The wicketkeeper-batter was promoted to the no.3 spot in India’s final group stage match against Oman and scored 56 off 45 balls, his first fifty of the Asia Cup 2025.
In the ongoing Asia Cup 2025, Samson has batted only twice in India’s five matches and scored 69 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 34.50 and a strike rate of 111.29.
Netizens furious over Samson’s demotion
Sanju Samson’s further demotion in the batting order from the no.5 spot left netizens furious and raised questions on Team India management, with fans slamming the decision as baffling and unfair treatment of the Kerala star.
Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), fans were left curious over the constant shuffling of the batting order, while others questioned the management for not giving Sanju Samson a fair run.
Before the Asia Cup 2025, Sanju Samson batted as an opener alongside Abhishek Sharma in the three T20I series against Bangladesh, South Africa, and England, and amassed 417 runs, including three centuries, at an average of 37.90 in 12 matches. He shared 267 runs in partnership with Abhishek at the top.
However, with the return of Shubman Gill to the T20I setup as a vice-captain, Sanju Samson was pushed down the order, losing his opening slot despite consistent performances. A change in his batting spot affected his rhythm and limited his opportunities to make an impact.