‘Sanju has experience, should bat No.3 ahead of Tilak Varma’ – Kaif’s bold take on India’s batting lineup

In the forthcoming 2025 Asia Cup, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has argued for Sanju Samson to be selected at No. 3 instead of Tilak Varma. Samson is one of the 15 players in the team captained by Suryakumar Yadav. Although the Hyderabad batter’s support from the management for the No. 3 place is not surprising, Kaif disagrees.

Kaif believed that Tilak might wait for his chance because of his advanced age. Taking into account that the T20 World Cup will be held in India and Sri Lanka the following year, he argued for Sanju at number three. The former cricket player, who is now a YouTuber, has advocated for Samson batting one down while also mentioning his experience in the format in light of the impending international tournament.

“In the Asia Cup, Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma will open.” I believe Tilak Varma, who is ranked No. 3, is a young man who can wait for his chance. Sanju is a seasoned batter who may be developed by providing him with regular opportunity at number three. In a video posted to his YouTube page, Kaif said, “He deserves a chance, and there’s a World Cup in six months.”

The native of Uttar Pradesh emphasised Sanju ability to hit maximums right over the bowler’s head, a feat that few players can do flawlessly.

He also discussed Samson’s efforts in the IPL, where the Kerala native captains the Rajasthan Royals, and in South Africa during the away series last year.

He is one among the IPL’s top ten six-hitters. Due to his ability to hammer sixes down the ground, I think Sanju is the best player to oppose Rashid Khan when he bowls in the middle overs. He has scored two hundreds as an opener in South Africa, which has some of the worst batting conditions. He excels at both pace and spin, and he consistently hits 400–500 runs in the IPL, according to Kaif.

According to several rumours, India would start with Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill in the opening pair, with Jitesh Sharma serving as the middle-order wicketkeeper-batter. Sanju will consequently be forced to sit out of the starting lineup.