“Sanju is good enough to bat at any position” - Team India coach’s big statement on wicket-keeper batter ahead of IND vs PAK Asia Cup 2025 game

Team India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has stated that wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson is adaptable and can play at any position in the lineup. The 30-year-old spent most of the past 12 months opening the innings.

However, with Shubman Gill returning to the side as vice-captain, he was paired with Abhishek Sharma as openers in India’s opening game of Asia Cup 2025 against the UAE, which the Men in Blue won by nine wickets.

Team India are next scheduled to face Pakistan on Sunday, September 14, in Dubai. Ahead of the clash, on Friday, September 12, Sitanshu Kotak addressed Sanju’s role while speaking to the media. He stated that Sanju can play at any number, and no middle-order slot is fixed, with everyone ready to step in wherever required. The 52-year-old said:

“Sanju (Samson) hasn’t batted much at number five or six. But that doesn’t mean he can’t do it. I think Sanju is a good enough player to bat at any position. So, depending on the team’s requirements, the captain and head coach will decide, and he is more than happy to bat at any number.”

“If you look at our batting lineup, everyone is capable of finishing the match from any position. However, we do have four or five aggressive players, and depending on the situation, the head coach and captain decide where to send them. More or less, everyone is prepared to bat at any number. For example, Sanju may have batted at number five in the last match, but in the next match, he could be sent at any position. So, nothing is fixed. Everyone knows their role, and they will be ready according to the situation,” he added.

The Kerala batter has played 43 T20Is, scoring 861 runs at an average of 25.32 with a strike rate of 152.38, including two fifties and three tons.

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“There is no agenda, no personal liking or disliking” - Sitanshu Kotak addresses the absence of India pacer Arshdeep Singh from game against the UAE

During his media interaction, Sitanshu Kotak also spoke about pacer Arshdeep Singh’s omission from India’s Asia Cup 2025 game against the UAE, saying:

“The team will be picked according to the wicket, and the best XI suitable for that wicket. Our first discussion with the head coach and captain is obviously about this. Out of the 15, everyone deserves to play, but we can only field 11. So, after looking at the wicket and the opposition, the best XI at that time will play.”

“At times, when a player is not playing, it will obviously be difficult for him because he will feel he is missing out. But at the end of the day, it’s a team and a team sport. Everyone knows there is no agenda, no personal liking or disliking. Whatever is best for the team, the captain and head coach will decide and do that. I don’t think there is any doubt in anybody’s mind about it. So, whoever is not playing is always trying to help the guys who are playing, and I think that’s how a team should function,” he added.

The 26-year-old remains India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, with 99 scalps in 63 matches, including best figures of 4/9.