DUBAI – Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of India, has been criticized for the team’s strange decisions for the batting order in their Asia Cup 2025 Super Four match versus Bangladesh. Many people have said that the decision to keep wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson all the way down to the No. 8 spot, where he didn’t even get to bat, was stupid and went against the team’s declared plan.
Ryan ten Doeschate, India’s assistant coach, publicly praised Samson just a day before the match, saying how important he was to the team’s middle order. Ten Doeschate told reporters, “We think Sanju is the best man for that job.” He also said that Samson was still getting used to playing No. 5 after being a regular opener for the side since the end of the T20 World Cup last year. Samson had scored three T20I centuries while playing that role.
A Messy Batting Order
But during the game against Bangladesh, the team’s management seemed to completely give up on this idea. After opener Abhishek Sharma hit 75 runs off just 37 balls, the rest of the batting order couldn’t take advantage. The squad sent Shivam Dube to bat at No. 3, but it didn’t work out. Then captain Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma came in. Samson stayed in the pavilion and didn’t play since Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya were put ahead of him. India concluded their innings with a score of 168 for six.
Dodda Ganesh, a former Indian cricketer, was quite angry with the decision and resorted to social media to vent his anger. “Sanju Samson at number 8 goes against all cricketing sense. He tweeted, “It’s just not okay.” Many admirers on social media agreed with the attitude and blasted what they perceived as pointless and messy experimenting.
Abhishek Sharma’s blazing knock, which included a 77-run opening combination with Shubman Gill, was the only good thing about an otherwise shaky Indian innings. India’s total seemed low since the middle order couldn’t build on the bright start. The result of the match just made people more curious about Gambhir’s coaching choices and the team’s plan, especially when it came to using a great player like Sanju Samson.