Sanju Samson’s decision to bat in the middle order during a Kerala Cricket League match has offered a strong indication of his likely role in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. With Shubman Gill returning to India's T20I squad and expected to open alongside Abhishek Sharma, Samson is unlikely to retain his usual opening position. Instead, he appears set to take up a middle-order role, possibly at number five or six, as Tilak Varma is favoured for the number three spot. Demonstrating a team-first mindset, Samson chose to bat at number five for the Kochi Blue Tigers against Adani Trivandrum Royals, despite being expected to open. Though he didn’t get to bat, the move underlined his readiness to adapt for the team's needs. As India prepares for matches in UAE, Samson’s flexibility and willingness to shift roles could prove crucial to maintaining balance in the batting lineup.

India's Asia Cup squad: Gill appointed vice-captain, Bumrah included but Shreyas Iyer misses out

Test skipper Shubman Gill was on Tuesday appointed India's T20 vice-captain for next month's Asia Cup where Jasprit Bumrah will also be there to bolster the team's bowling attack even as a strong contender like IPL-winning captain Shreyas Iyer missed out due to abundance of talent in the format.

The 25-year-old Gill's last T20 International match was against Sri Lanka at Pallekele in 2024 and he has now replaced Axar Patel as the deputy of skipper Suryakumar Yadav in the 15-strong squad.

Asia Cup begins on September 9 and India is placed in Group A of alongside Pakistan, Oman, and the UAE.

Gill's inclusion was hardly a surprise after a stupendous run in the recent Test rubber against England where he scored four hundreds in the drawn five-match series.

"Gill's form in England was something we expected but he exceeded it all," chief selector Ajit Agarkar said during the squad announcement press conference here.

However, the management will have to ponder over Gill's batting slot during the continental showpiece because Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson have forged an effective pair at the top.

Agarkar looked at it as a delightful problem of plenty rather than a headache.

"There are more options (for top order) now and Shubman has been in a great form anyway. When they get to Dubai, they can decide on the playing XI according to the opposition and the conditions," said the former India pacer.

But the team think tank has the option of pushing Samson down to the middle-order, where the Kerala batter batted quite often in the past, and gave Gill the opening slot.

Agarkar hinted as much.

"Sanju was playing because Shubman and Yashasvi were not available at that point (and) so was Abhishek. (But) Abhishek's performances clearly makes it hard to leave him out. Plus, his bowling is handy," he said.

"Like I said, he (Shubman) was (the) vice-captain the last time he played T20 cricket. That was after the last World Cup so even at that point, clearly we were thinking along those lines.

"Now that he's available, at least he (Suryakumar) has two options. It's their headache to pick the batting lineup (now); ours was to pick the 15 and so. But we've got some real depth as far as T20 cricket is concerned and we are very happy with it," he added.

Meanwhile, there were some lingering doubts on Bumrah's availability largely due to the proximity to the home Test series against the West Indies in October, but the premium bowler has been included in the squad.

While, the Asia Cup final is scheduled on September 28 in Dubai, the first Test against the touring Caribbeans is set to begin on October 2 at Ahmedabad. Hence, there is lot of cricket to unfold in the coming months. (With inputs from Agencies)