'Relegated Sanju to fifth position for Shreyas Iyer'; Former Indian selector warns Malayali cricketer

DUBAI: Although Malayali star Sanju Samson found a place in India's playing XI for the Asia Cup, his new role as a middle-order batsman raised a few eyebrows. India crushed UAE by nine wickets in a Group A clash yesterday.

Openers Abhishek Sharma (30 off 16 balls) and Shubman Gill (20 off 9 balls) swiftly coursed the game with their fine batting, robbing Sanju his chance to bat. However, former India selector Krishnamachari Srikkanth opined that it was to pave the way for Shreyas Iyer that Sanju was moved to the number five spot.

"I feel that by making Sanju bat at number five, we are paving the way for Shreyas Iyer to come back into the team. Sanju hasn't batted much at number five, and he doesn't need to bat there. If he has to bat at number five, it will drain his confidence. I am warning Sanju! This is your last chance. If he fails to score runs in the next three innings at this position, Shreyas Iyer will replace him.

They are playing Sanju in the middle order. Will they use him as a finisher? No. It will be Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dubey. Then Samson will have to play at number five. Can he perform well? That is a question mark. They are playing Sanju Samson instead of Jitesh Sharma. It is okay in the Asia Cup, but what will happen in the T20 World Cup?" said Srikkanth.