Asia Cup Showdown: Suryakumar Yadav Addresses Sanju Samson's Playing XI Prospects Amid Jitesh Sharma Debate

Captain Suryakumar Yadav has opened up about the Jitesh Sharma vs Sanju Samson debate ahead of India's first Asia Cup match against UAE, to be played at the Dubai International Stadium on Wednesday.When asked about who between Jitesh and Sanju will be India’s No. 1 choice, the Indian captain said: “We are actually taking good care of Sanju, don’t worry, we will make the right decision tomorrow.”Samson has worked tirelessly over the last 12 months, batting fiercely, producing big knocks, and establishing himself as a consistent T20I opener. His last 10 T20I innings include three centuries, underlining his progress and hunger in the shortest format.He struck two hundreds in South Africa — 107 in Durban and an unbeaten 109 in Johannesburg — after scoring 111 against Bangladesh in Hyderabad last October.With Shubman Gill returning as T20I vice-captain, the management is certain to prefer a Gill–Abhishek Sharma opening combination.During India’s Asia Cup squad selection, Suryakumar Yadav had also praised Jitesh.“We spoke a lot on how to go about it. We spoke about let’s not think of milestones ahead, follow your journey. He’s been a completely different cricketer post that. The way he performed in the IPL and domestic tournaments he played, he’s done really well, has earned his spot again,” Suryakumar had shared.Former India wicketkeeper-batter MSK Prasad believes Samson’s selection depends on his batting slot.“If Sanju is slotted at number 3, then he will play. He has even scored back-to-back centuries in South Africa batting higher up. In the pecking order, he comes ahead of Jitesh. But if he’s not batting at 3, then I don’t see him finding a place at 5 or 6. In my view, the batting order should be: Sanju at 3, Suryakumar at 4, and then someone like Rinku at 6. That’s the ideal balance,” Prasad told TimesofIndia.com.“Jitesh is a better finisher, no doubt. He understands that role well. Sanju, on the other hand, has always been most effective batting up the order. So it really depends on what the team management wants. If they need a top-order wicketkeeper, then Sanju is the obvious choice. But if they feel the top order is settled and need a finisher, then Jitesh might get the nod. Either way, it’s a good problem to have, but to be honest, what wrong did Sanju do to be sidelined? He has scored hundreds in South Africa, and you can’t ignore that,” he added.