Asia Cup 2025, India playing XI: Sanju Samson in? Massive surprise for UAE game

After much speculation over the past few days, Sanju Samson has been confirmed in India’s playing XI for their Asia Cup clash in Dubai. The chatter around Samson’s inclusion was intense, especially with the return of Shubman Gill as vice-captain and Tilak Varma set to bat at number three, leaving fans and experts questioning where Samson would fit in. Many believed that Jitesh, the second wicketkeeper, might replace Samson, particularly considering his impressive performance in the lower order for RCB in this year’s IPL. Despite the doubts, Samson is set to play, giving India more depth in the middle order. In a surprising decision, Arshdeep Singh has been left out of the lineup. India has opted to strengthen their batting up to number eight by including Shivam Dube, who can also contribute with the ball. This strategy shows India’s intent to balance their batting depth with bowling options. Earlier, Former India coach Ravi Shastri also weighed in on the debate around Samson and Gill. “He [Samson] is most dangerous in the top three. That’s where he wins you matches. He should be left there,” Shastri said at a media interaction. “Replacing Samson for Gill won’t be that easy. Samson has a strong record for India at the top in T20s. Even Gill will find it tough to displace him. Gill may come in for someone else, but Samson should be left alone as the opener. He has been consistent at the top with big runs and hundreds.” India won the toss and chose to bowl first in Dubai, setting the stage for an interesting contest. The playing XI for India is: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (w), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy.