Asia Cup 2025: Practice Session Reveals Potential Absence of Sanju Samson in India’s Playing XI

The Asia Cup 2025 is approaching, and the debate over Sanju Samson’s place in India’s playing XI continues. The squad selection, and the subsequent appointment of Shubman Gill as vice-captain, has fueled this debate. As the tournament begins on September 10th for India, the team’s practice sessions are providing clues about the likely team composition. Reports indicate that Samson may not be in the starting lineup. During the practice session on September 8th, the initial batting order didn’t include Samson. Abhishek Sharma, vice-captain Shubman Gill, Tilak Varma, captain Suryakumar Yadav, Shivam Dube, and Hardik Pandya were the batsmen who practiced first. Jitesh Sharma also batted, while Sanju Samson was involved in wicketkeeping practice. The practice session’s proceedings don’t reflect well on Samson, given the competition with Jitesh Sharma for the wicketkeeper-batsman slot. After the initial batting session, Jitesh Sharma devoted time to wicketkeeping. Samson later got an opportunity to bat. No official announcements have been made about the playing eleven, but the practice session’s events suggest that Samson might have to wait for his chance in the tournament.