‘Best man for the job’ – India coach assures Sanju Samson will be India’s No. 5 against Bangladesh

India head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav have unwavering faith in Sanju Samson. The wicketkeeper batter, who failed against England earlier in the year and had a forgettable Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, was persisted with despite other candidates outperforming him.

Gambhir-Suryakumar to back Samson

Samson had revealed in August that Gambhir had told him that he won’t drop him even if he scores 20 ducks on the trot. It seemed that the head coach betrayed him when Samson was removed from his opening spot. It was expected that Jitesh Sharma would replace him. But that didn’t happen.

Instead, Samson has been backed to play in the middle order despite having little to no experience playing there. On top of that, Samson has been rusty in the Asia Cup. He scored a painful fifty against Oman when promoted to number three, and then came that 13-run knock against Pakistan.

But India will still back him. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has confirmed that the management still views Samson as the best option to play as India’s wicketkeeper and play at number five. And Ryan wasn’t just talking about the Asia Cup but even beyond.

“He’s had two decent chances, and he’s still figuring out how to play that role. I think the wicket also got a little bit tired (slow) in that Pakistan game. But certainly, with the way Shubman and Abhi are going at the top, you’ve got your captain batting at 3, and the way Tilak’s played, we are looking for a number five. We believe Sanju is the best man for the job. And we’ve got no doubt that he’ll figure out how to play that role in the future,” Ryan told reporters in Dubai on the eve of the India vs Bangladesh match.

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