Indian Star Wicketkeeper Puts Statement Knock Weeks Ahead of Asia Cup 2025

India's star wicket-keeper Sanju Samson has a lot going on in his professional career these days. With the Asia Cup 2025 coming up next month, the anticipation around Samson's place in the team continues. The selectors have not announced the squad yet, but there are several reports which suggest that the keeper-batter might not get a seat in the team. After a wonderful performance in the England series, the selectors are leaning towards Shubman Gill, and if that happens, Samson will not be included in the team

His previous T20I series against England was a huge flop, where he scored just 51 runs in five matches. This is also one of the main reasons the chances of Sanju Samson not being included in the squad are likely. Despite his centuries in South Africa in 2024, Gill's IPL performance has overshadowed his knocks. Moreover, the Test captain is in full form as well, considering his performance in the recently ended England tour. The selectors are eying Gill as the captaincy prospect in the future. Hence, they are most likely to give him a chance in the Asia Cup 2025. After all, he is one of the best batters in India. Amidst all the chaos, Samson has kept himself focused, and his hard work is finally paying off on the field. A brilliant performance in a friendly T20 has massively boosted Sanju Samson Asia Cup comeback chances.

Sanju Samson Asia Cup Chances Boosted as He Shines in T20 Friendly

Sanju Samson was the captain of the Secretary XI in the friendly T20 clash at Greenfield Stadium ahead of the Kerala Cricket League (KCL). His opponent captain was Sachin Baby, who led the President's XI in the match. It was a nail-biting finish as the game went on till the last over. President XI batted first and scored 184 runs at the loss of eight wickets. It was a combined effect by the entire team, but Rohan Kunnummal's 60 off 29 balls and Abhijith Praveen's powerful cameo of 47 off 18 balls helped them set up a challenging total on the board. Secretary XI's Sharafudheen claimed three wickets while Sijomon Joseph claimed two wickets in the match.

When the Secretary XI came to bat, they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. However, wicketkeeper Vishnu Vinod and Sanju Samson slammed half-centuries, helping the team win the match. While Vinod scored 69 off 29 balls, skipper Samson scored 54 off 36 balls. It was a classic match that went down to the last over, where Basil Thampi smashed a six to seal victory with two balls to spare.

Sanju Samson IPL Trade for 2026 gets exciting

As the IPL 2026 trade window is open now, several teams and players are trying to secure a spot for the upcoming season. Sanju Samson, the captain of the Rajasthan Royals (RR), has been with the team since 2013. He played for the Delhi Capitals (DC) in 2016 and 2017, when the team was not a part of the IPL. However, he returned to the squad post that. Despite being together for almost a decade, Samson has faced some issues with the team management and has decided to part ways for the upcoming season. He wrote to the franchise to either trade him or let him go for the mini auction.

When the franchise tried to speak to the Chennai Super Kings to swap Samson, they refused. As per reports, RR are in talks with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to transfer Samson in exchange for Ramandeep Singh and Angkrish Raghuvanshi. While the franchises haven't spoken about it yet, it looks like Samson might find a new team soon, as he is one of the fittest cricketers in the world. Moreover, with the player's current performance, the deals will only rise in the future. Samson is an outstanding batter, and it will be crucial for him to score in the upcoming Asia Cup 2025. It will make Sanju Samson IPL trade even more exciting.