India T20I Captain Suryakumar Yadav has ended the intense debate surrounding Sanju Samson’s batting position, confirming that Shubman Gill will continue to open the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma in the upcoming four-match series against South Africa starting Tuesday in Cuttack. With Gill returning as vice-captain after recovering from a neck injury and Hardik Pandya also declared fully fit, the team management has opted for continuity at the top despite Samson’s red-hot domestic form.

Speaking on the eve of the first T20I, Suryakumar explained the reasoning: “Sanju batted higher up when he first came into the side and did really well, but Shubman had already opened before him in the Sri Lanka series, so he deserves that spot. Apart from the openers, everyone else has to be flexible—from No. 3 to 6.” The captain stressed that such versatility is now non-negotiable in India’s aggressive T20 setup.

Samson, who smashed 51, 43, 46, and 73 in the recent Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, faces increased competition from Jitesh Sharma, who replaced him as wicketkeeper-batter in India’s last T20I against Australia and played a match-winning cameo. Suryakumar, however, called it a “good headache”, saying both keepers are in the scheme of things and can perform multiple roles, including opening if required.

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“We gave Sanju enough opportunities, and he showed he is ready to bat anywhere. That flexibility is an asset,” Suryakumar added, praising the depth in India’s white-ball batting reserves.

With Gill and Hardik Pandya both confirmed 100 per cent fit after lengthy injury layoffs, India are set to field close to full strength for the series. Gill last played during the opening Test against South Africa, while Hardik missed the Asia Cup final due to a quadriceps issue.

All eyes will now be on how Samson responds if handed a middle-order role and whether the team management continues to back his explosive potential despite the stiff competition for spots in the run-up to the 2026 T20 World Cup.

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