Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta explained why the team management was right to call up Sanju Samson to bench Jitesh Sharma. Samson, who enjoyed a phenomenal run as India’s opener in the shortest format of the game, suddenly found himself isolated from the playing XI. Once Shubman Gill returned to the side as vice-captain, Samson was slotted into the middle order where he did not find the consistency he had at the top.
Samson scored three hundreds and 436 runs in 2024 at an average of 43.6 and a strike rate of 180.16. This year, Samson has 185 runs in 14 matches at an average of 18.5 and a strike rate of 120.91. This led to the Kerala goalkeeper being dropped from the squad for the last three matches, where Jitesh was placed.
Speaking to PTI, Dasgupta said that if Samson is not in the top three and if India wants a keeper to play lower down the order, then Jitesh is the best option as he is a specialist in that regard.
“It is the right choice. If Sanju is not in the top three and if the keeper is batting in the middle order, you are playing a specialist, lower-order batsman rather than a top-order batsman. It is not easy to bat two balls or four balls.”
“Jitesh is a specialist in this regard,” former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta told PTI.
YOU DON’T SEE MANY CHANGES BEFORE MS
India have nine more matches before the World Cup in February, four against South Africa and five against New Zealand. Dasgupta said he doesn’t see many changes being made to the playing XI ahead of the World Cup, meaning Samson could once again warm the bench at the tournament.
“Nine games to go (before the World Cup), I don’t see too many changes before the World T20,” he reckoned.
Samson was a member of the team that won the 2024 World Cup but did not play a single match. Jitesh said he has a healthy rivalry with Samson and considers him a brother.
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Published on:
December 10, 2025
