“Wanindu Hasaranga used to have his number” - Aakash Chopra applauds batter for key knock in IND vs SL Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has heaped praise on Sanju Samson for his vital knock in the Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 game against Sri Lanka. The match is being played on Friday, September 26, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Coming in at No. 5, the keeper-batter scored 39 off 23 balls, hitting one four and three sixes. In the process, he took on Sri Lanka’s premier spinner Wanindu Hasaranga, scoring 24 off 11 balls against him. Before this game, Samson had a poor record against Hasaranga in T20s, having been dismissed six times in eight innings and scoring just 40 runs at an average of 6.67 and a strike rate of 93.02.

Speaking on ESPNcricinfo, Chopra commended the Kerala batter for his control and the way he played against Hasaranga. The 48-year-old said:

“Very impressive. And one thing that stood out for me was the way he handled Wanindu Hasaranga's spin. Because if there has been some fair criticism of his handling of certain leg spinners, Wanindu Hasaranga used to have his number in his pocket for a very long time. But this time, he was very confident reading the ball from the hand, because first you step down and then there is a googly, you go on the back foot and you nudge it for a couple, looked in complete control.”

“And you have to also spare a moment of thought for Sanju, that he is under pressure. See, no matter what others might be thinking or saying, the fact is, you're batting at a number which is not your natural ideal position. And it's not as if you're always batting at that number. In the last game, you were pushed down to eight, you didn't get to bat. So this will do a world of good for his confidence, because whenever you're batting out of position, you need these knocks and you need a slightly longer rope,” he added.

Apart from Sanju, Abhishek Sharma starred with 61 off 31 balls, while Tilak Varma remained unbeaten on 49 off 34 as India finished at 202/5 in 20 overs.

---

“He made sure that he didn't commit to any shot too early” - Former India pacer commends Sanju Samson

During the same interaction, former pacer Varun Aaron also lauded Sanju Samson, noting that the 30-year-old didn’t overhit the ball in his innings except for the one that got him out. Aaron said:

“Today he's played really well. For me, the hallmark of his innings today was he didn't try to overhit the ball. Even when Akash Bhai was talking about the way he played Hasaranga, he made sure that he didn't commit to any shot too early. That's why we saw some really good shots down the ground. The only shot he actually overhit and tried to hit a very, very big six was the ball he got out.”

So far in the Asia Cup 2025, Samson has scored 108 runs in three innings at an average of 36.00 and a strike rate of 127.05, including one fifty.