Why Sanju Samson is Not Opening Today in IND vs SL Asian Games Semi-Final Match? Explained

Team India is currently playing the all-important semi-final match against Sri Lanka at the Korogi Sports Park, Nisshin. India fielded a long batting line-up for this game, however, the biggest change was at the top of the order.

Wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson didn't come out to open the batting in a major shuffle at the top of the order. It came as a susprise as Samson has an excellent record while opening the batting and could have played a major role here.

Why Sanju Samson is Not Opening Today?

Sanju Samson was pushed down the order to No. 3 in the IND vs SL Asian Games semi-final. This is because the Indian team management decided to play Vaibhav Suryavanshi in this match.

With Suryavanshi in the playing 11, he was considered to open alongside Abhishek Sharma. This meant that Sanju Samson batting position was pushed down to No. 3. It is not the first time that Samson is playing at No. 3 or the middle order. He already has the experience of batting down the order, making him a good candidate for this spot.

However, it wasn't a great outing for Samson in this game as he was dismissed cheaply. The wicketkeeper-batter was dismissed by the left-arm spinner Tharindu Ratnayake for just 7 runs. It was a poor shot from him as he went back to a good length ball that came in and smashed into the stumps.

Why Did India Change Batting Order During Asian Games Semifinal?

There is no particular reason why India changed their opening combination for this game. The team management decided to play Vaibhav Suryavanshi as one of India openers in Asian Games, and he played a crucial knock of 38 runs at the top order.

Suryavanshi has all the qualities to become one of the best batsmen in the world and he proved his worth on this difficult pitch by playing an eye-catching knock at Nisshin. Meanwhile, Ishan Kishan top-scored for India despite batting down the order. The talented left-handed batter struck 80 runs off just 54 balls.

India posted a significant first innings score of 169-7 in 20 overs and later restricted Sri Lanka to just 45 runs to enter the final. The Men in Blue will now face the arch-rivals Pakistan in the gold medal match.