"Sanju Samson is wondering whether he is being played only for keeping" - Aakash Chopra suggests a tactic ahead of IND vs OMA Asia Cup 2025 clash

Former India player Aakash Chopra has noted that Sanju Samson might be wondering whether he is playing only as a wicketkeeper in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025. He urged Suryakumar Yadav to opt to bat first if he wins the toss against Oman to allow his batters more time in the middle.

India will square off against Oman in the final Group A game of the Asia Cup 2025 in Abu Dhabi on Friday, September 19. With Shubman Gill opening the batting with Abhishek Sharma, Samson has been moved to the middle order and didn't get to bat in India's emphatic wins in their first two group games against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Pakistan.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener urged the Men in Blue to set a target, if they win the toss, to ensure that their middle-order batters like Samson are in form heading into the Super Fours.

"Should India bat first if they win the toss? I feel you should put a stamp on that. Bat first. You chased 50-odd runs in the first match and nearly 130 runs in the second match. If you bat first, everyone will get to bat and be in form. Everyone does not have form as of now. We have seen glimpses," Chopra said (1:30).

"Sanju Samson is wondering whether he is being played only for keeping as the five above him have batted and the five below him have bowled. If Sanju Samson doesn't get a chance in this match, he might not get to bat in the entire Asia Cup. Give him a chance and get the guy in form," he added.

Aakash Chopra opined that Sanju Samson might not play 10 balls in total in the entire Asia Cup 2025 if his batting order is not changed. He added that the wicketkeeper-batter should be promoted to No. 3 against Oman, irrespective of when the first wicket falls.

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"Now that you have made his job difficult, you have to make it easy in a way" - Aakash Chopra on Sanju Samson's future

Sanju Samson (right) was opening with Abhishek Sharma before the Asia Cup 2025. [P/C: Getty]

In the same video, Aakash Chopra was asked about Sanju Samson's future, considering he is no longer getting to bat in the top order.

"Now that you have made his job difficult, you have to make it easy in a way. You have made it difficult because you are not playing him in the top three. He has scored most of his runs there. If you are not playing him there and are playing him from Nos. 5 to 7, give him more chances," he responded (6:50).

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that the Rajasthan Royals (RR) skipper needs to be given a longer rope than he would have got as an opener.

"He should be given a lot of opportunities. If it's in your mind to give an opener 10 chances, if you are going to play him from Nos. 5 to 7, give him 20 chances. It won't work out with less than that. His batting doesn't come half the time," Chopra observed.

Aakash Chopra noted that it will be assumed that Sanju Samson had a bad tournament if he gets to bat only once or twice and is dismissed cheaply. He added that the 30-year-old needs to be given more chances as he is batting out of position, or else his career might get stuck.