Suryakumar Yadav opens up on Shubman Gill replacing Sanju Samson as opener in T20Is

Overview

• Ahead of the first T20I between India and South Africa in Cuttack, Suryakumar Yadav showed up in the press conference
• The Indian skipper opened up on Shubman Gill replacing Sanju Samson as an opener since the Asia Cup 2025
• He claimed Gill a deserving candidate to bag a spot in the Indian team and added Samson still got opportunities albeit down the order

Ahead of the first T20I between India and South Africa in Cuttack, Suryakumar Yadav showed up in the press conference. The Indian skipper opened up on Shubman Gill replacing Sanju Samson as an opener since the Asia Cup 2025. He claimed Gill a deserving candidate to bag a spot in the Indian team and added Samson still got opportunities albeit down the order.

In his statement, Samson said that the Indian management is not looking to make a lot of changes in the combination. "We don’t want to change too much in terms of combinations. The focus is simply on the type of cricket we want to play; apart from that, there’s nothing major we want to alter," Suryakumar said.

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The Indian captain said that Samson is someone who can bat higher up the order but felt Gill deserved to make his return to the side. "Sanju is a batter who can play higher up the order. He has done well as an opener. Shubman played ahead of Sanju because he deserved that spot, but we still ensured Sanju got opportunities," Yadav added.

"Both of them are very much in our plans," - Suryakumar Yadav

He felt that batters need to be flexible to bat anywhere needed by the management, apart from the openers. He revealed that both Samson and Gill are in plans for the T20 World Cup and added that it's a good headache to have for the management.

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"Apart from the openers, everyone else needs to be flexible. They must adapt. Both of them are very much in our plans—both can perform multiple roles. It’s an asset for the team and a good headache to have," Suryakumar added in his statement.