'Neither strike rate nor average looks good' - Aakash Chopra expresses concern on star wicketkeeper's batting position

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has stated that Sanju Samson should be one of the frontrunners for the wicketkeeper-batter’s role in India’s squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup. However, he also pointed out that Samson’s record in the middle order, where he may be required to bat, is not particularly strong.

In recent T20Is, Samson has opened the innings alongside Abhishek Sharma and has enjoyed some success at the top. But with Shubman Gill returning to the squad andbeing appointed vice-captain for the upcoming Asia Cup, Samson’s role could change. The Rajasthan Royals skipper may find himself pushed down the order, where competition for places is intense. In such a scenario, Jitesh Sharma could be preferred ahead of Samson in the middle order.

"Sanju Samson is the first contender because he played the last series. He has struck three centuries in the last 12 matches. He is also a part of the team at the moment. So, of course, he will be the first guy to talk about. If we see his numbers at Nos. 1 to 3 in all T20s, he has scored more than 6000 runs at a strike rate of 140 and an average of 33. These are really good numbers at Nos. 1 to 3,” said Chopra on his YouTube Channel.

"So Sanju Samson is a real contender if you want a keeper in the top three. When I look at his numbers at Nos. 4 to 7, he has played 98 matches and has an average of 20 and a strike rate of 126. Neither the strike rate nor the average looks very good at Nos. 4 to 7. You would have kept Sanju as a frontrunner at the top. However, suddenly, when you change his number, he will go down in the list," he added.

Chopra further opined that Dhruv Jurel, Rishabh Pant, and Samson are likely to compete for a spot in next year’s multi-nation tournament as the second wicketkeeper behind Jitesh Sharma. He suggested that Samson currently lags in that race, primarily due to his underwhelming numbers in the middle order.