“100% Jitesh Sharma is the better finisher” - Former India cricketer’s massive statement on Sanju Samson after IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 match

Former Indian opener Kris Srikkanth believes Jitesh Sharma should be playing ahead of Sanju Samson in the finisher role despite the side's brilliant seven-wicket win over Pakistan in the highly anticipated Asia Cup 2025 clash. With Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma opening the batting in the first two games of the tournament, Samson has been demoted to the middle-order.

However, in the win over Pakistan, the wicketkeeper batter did not come to bat, even at No. 5. The big-hitting Shivam Dube walked in after the fall of the third wicket to assist the well-set Suryakumar Yadav in finishing the game.

Talking about Samson's place in the batting order after the Pakistan win on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth said (18:35):

"100% Jitesh Sharma is the better finisher. I feel for Sanju, he's a top-order batter. Sanju is a brilliant player but he's a top-order batsman. He'll take the bowling apart if he bats in the top three. But if you ask him to straightaway go and strike in the lower middle order, he can't do it."

He added:

"Sanju will hardly get an opportunity to bat. They've just accommodated him. Jitesh Sharma only should have played. Also who's a better batter at 6, Sanju or Hardik Pandya? Obviously Hardik Pandya is a better batsman at 6. So, Sanju won't get batting at all."

Samson opened the batting for India in T20Is since the middle of last year, before the Asia Cup, with much success. He averaged almost 38 at a strike rate of 183.70 in 12 outings, including an incredible three centuries.

"It's unfair on Arshdeep" - Kris Srikkanth

Kris Srikkanth believes left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has received a raw deal by being excluded from the Indian XI thus far in the Asia Cup. The 26-year-old is India's all-time leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 99 scalps in 63 matches at an average of 18.30 and an economy of 8.29.

"I really feel bad for Arshdeep. It's unfair on Arshdeep. He's on 99 T20I wickets, the highest for us. So he is soon going to get to the 100-wicket mark," said Srikkanth (via the aforementioned source).

Arshdeep also led all bowlers with 17 wickets in India's title-winning run in the 2024 T20 World Cup. However, the Men in Blue have prioritized batting depth, leaving only three specialist bowlers (Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Varun Chakaravarthy) a place in the XI.