"You could have played Jitesh" - Aakash Chopra on Suryakumar Yadav not coming out to bat in IND vs OMA Asia Cup 2025 clash

Former India player Aakash Chopra has wondered whether the Men in Blue could have included Jitesh Sharma in their playing XI in their Asia Cup 2025 clash against Oman if Suryakumar Yadav wasn't supposed to bat. He highlighted that the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) wicketkeeper-batter was seemingly a certainty in the XI before the start of the tournament.

Suryakumar didn't come out to bat as India posted 188/8 in their Asia Cup 2025 Group A clash against Oman in Abu Dhabi on Friday, September 19. The defending champions then restricted Jatinder Singh and company to 167/4 to register a 21-run win.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel 'Aakash Chopra,' the former India opener opined that Jitesh could have been included in the XI if Suryakumar didn't intend to bat himself.

"Tilak Varma came to bat very low in the order. Surya didn't come to bat at all, and that brought a question to my mind. You could have played Jitesh if Surya wasn't going to bat at all. I am thinking when you will play Jitesh. You have played all the players in this team. Only Jitesh, who seemed to be a 100-percent sure-shot starter, is left," he said (5:05).

Chopra added that Jitesh is not being given a chance to compete with Sanju Samson for the wicketkeeper-batter's position.

"You need a keeper-batter in the middle order. So play him, but they didn't play him. I am seeing the wicketkeeping slot as a result of slightly muddled thinking. The other guy in that race is not being given a chance to run. This could have been that opportunity," he observed.

Aakash Chopra pointed out that Jitesh Sharma might have fared very well, considering he is coming after an excellent run in IPL 2025. However, he added that the team management is probably convinced that Sanju Samson would be their wicketkeeper-batter, irrespective of his batting position.

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"He held the team together as wickets were falling at the other end" - Aakash Chopra on Sanju Samson's knock in IND vs OMA Asia Cup 2025 clash

Sanju Samson scored a half-century in India's Asia Cup 2025 clash against Oman. [P/C: Getty]

Reflecting on Sanju Samson's knock in India's Asia Cup 2025 clash against Oman, Aakash Chopra noted that the wicketkeeper-batter, who didn't look convincing at the start, held the innings together.

"Sanju Samson came at No. 3. Batting wasn't easy. There were difficulties in the beginning and fast bowling was troubling him a little. Didn't look very convincing to begin with, but eventually what matters is that he scored runs. He scored more than 50 runs, and he held the team together as wickets were falling at the other end," he said in the same video.

The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Samson needed to play the anchor's role and had to make the most of the opportunity to bat at No. 3.

"Hardik Pandya had gotten out for one and Shubman Gill had gotten out earlier. Axar Patel was running at double his speed, he was running at a strike rate of 200, but Sanju was there. Sanju showed that he can play an anchor's role as well. He will not get the No. 3 position again. So you can understand what he was thinking," Chopra observed.

Sanju Samson scored 56 runs off 45 balls with the help of three fours and as many sixes. He walked out to bat in the second over and was dismissed off the fourth ball of the 18th over.