Sanju Samson vs Jitesh Sharma - comparing their stats after 9 T20Is

Wicket-keeper batters Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma have been included in India's squad for the 2025 Asia Cup. Samson has been an integral part of the T20I set-up, while Jitesh made a comeback to the side.

Jitesh Sharma got the nod as the second wicket-keeper ahead of Dhruv Jurel, who has been named as a standby player. He had a stellar IPL 2025 season, where he played a key role in Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) title-winning run, including an unbeaten 33-ball 85 in the last league stage match. Jitesh made 261 runs from 11 innings at a strike-rate of 176.35.

As far as India's T20I team is concerned, Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have consistently opened the batting and done well in the recent past. While Samson could be the first choice wicket-keeper, there could also be a situation where he may not be a part of the side.

Notably, Shubman Gill returned to the T20I side and has been named vice-captain for the 2025 Asia Cup. In all probability, Gill is likely to open the batting. In such a scenario, Samson may have to make way as a top-order batter, and that is where Jitesh could slot in as a lower-order wicket-keeper batter.

Jitesh has played 9 T20Is so far. That said, in this article, we compare his stats with that of Sanju Samson at the same stage.

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Sanju Samson vs Jitesh Sharma - Who has scored more runs after 9 T20Is?

Sanju Samson made his T20I debut in 2015 against Zimbabwe at Harare. He has played 42 matches so far and has scored 861 runs. However, after his first 9 T20Is, Samson had scored 117 runs from as many innings with a top score of 27 against Sri Lanka in 2021.

On the other hand, Jitesh Sharma, who has played 9 T20Is, made his debut in 2023 against Nepal. The right-hander has scored 100 runs from seven innings with a best score of 35.

Therefore, after their first 9 matches for India in the format, both batters have almost an equal number of runs, with not a huge difference.

Player	Matches	Innings	Runs	HS
Sanju Samson	9	9	117	27
Jitesh Sharma	9	7	100	35

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Sanju Samson vs Jitesh Sharma - Who has a better average and strike-rate after 9 T20Is?

Both Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma are known for their explosive batting and hard-hitting ability. Samson has an average of 25.32 and a strike-rate of 152.38 from his 42 T20Is. However, after his first 9 T20Is, he had an average of 13 and a strike-rate of 113.59.

Meanwhile, Jitesh Sharma has an average of 14.28 and a strike-rate of 147.05 after 9 T20Is. While both batters have an almost similar average, Jitesh has a way better strike-rate than Samson at the same stage.

Player	Matches	Average	Strike-rate
Sanju Samson	9	13	113.59
Jitesh Sharma	9	14.28	147.05

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Sanju Samson vs Jitesh Sharma - Who has a better record in winning causes after 9 T20Is?

Out of the 42 matches Sanju Samson has featured in so far, India have won 33. In 29 innings, he has scored 790 runs at an average of 31.60 and a strike-rate of 164.93 in a winning cause.

Out of his 117 runs after his first 9 T20Is, 81 came in a winning cause, with the team winning six matches. These runs came at an average of 13.5 and a strike-rate of 150.

Jitesh Sharma has scored 99 out of his 100 runs after 9 T20Is in a winning cause, with the team winning seven games. These runs have come at an average of 16.50 and a strike-rate of 152.31.

While Jitesh has scored 18 more runs in a winning cause at the same stage, both players are again close on average and strike-rates.

Player	Matches	Runs in a winning cause	Average	Strike-rate
Sanju Samson	6	81	13.5	150
Jitesh Sharma	7	99	16.50	152.31