"Sanju Samson should be a starter, having him becomes integral": Former Indian all-rounder advocates

MUMBAI: Former Indian all-rounder Robin Uthappa said that if India wants to retain the T20 World Cup, they must have Sanju Samson in the team. Uthappa also advocated for the aggressive opening pair of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson for India to score big scores in the World Cup matches. Uthappa's suggestion was in an Instagram video.

"Sanju Samson should be a starter in the T20 World Cup eleven, no matter what. And I will tell you why. So Sanju Samson is among hundreds of makers post T20 World Cup 2024. In South Africa he got back-to-back hundreds and then Bangladesh. Motivated young stars who also put their hands up – if Sanju can score one hundred, I could score as well. For me, secondly, what wrong did the opening partnership of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma do for them to get broken. Because of his versatile nature as a batsman, Sanju can bring stability to the playing combination along with his brilliance in leading a team, so he knows how to react under tough circumstances.

The third reason is that he brings a lot of balance into the side. We saw him absorb pressure in the Asia Cup 2025 final, along with Tilak Varma, and build an important partnership. But I still think if Sanju Samson bats either 1, 2 or 3, not below that. Other than that, Sanju has been captain of his franchise for about three, four or five years, so he brings experience as well. So he knows when the stakes are high. Having him becomes integral. If you want to be able to defend that World Cup title successfully." Uthappa clarified.