Sanju Samson's last T20I appearance was at the number three spot. After a disappointing outing in Melbourne, where he scored just 2 runs off 4 balls, the 31-year-old was replaced by Jitesh Sharma. Now, it’s unclear if the management will decide to bring Samson back for the upcoming India vs South Africa 1st T20I. Will India Give Sanju Samson a Chance in Cuttack? With the 2026 T20 World Cup on the horizon, Team India is likely to experiment with their lineup. Ravichandran Ashwin believes that the management should offer Samson another chance. The former Indian spinner suggested slotting him back at number three, a position typically held by Suryakumar Yadav or Tilak Varma, depending on the match situation. “I want to see if India will give Samson a chance at three, or will they go with Suryakumar and Tilak at three and four. They tried to use Sanju here in Australia,” Ashwin pointed out that Samson was dropped to make room for Shubman Gill, who returned to the T20I squad as vice-captain during the 2025 Asia Cup. With only 10 matches left before the T20 World Cup kicks off, Ashwin is eager to see more clarity on the roles assigned to the batters. “The template had to be changed after Gill came in. Sanju was opening and giving that keeping option. Now that the opening batter and keeper are gone, you have to accommodate a keeper and finisher down the order. I will be looking forward from India’s perspective if we are giving role clarity to batters,” he added. Also Read | 5 Young SMAT Stars Who Can Trigger Big Bidding Wars in IPL 2026 Mini Auction Sanju Samson has emerged as one of India’s most thrilling white-ball talents. In T20Is, he has amassed 995 runs at an impressive strike rate of 147.40, showcasing his knack for performing under pressure and finishing games. Despite his consistent performances, he has often been overlooked in favor of players like Shubman Gill, who have yet to establish themselves in limited-overs cricket. Samson deserves regular playtime, as his talent and track record clearly indicate that he can bolster India’s middle order and make a significant impact in every match. Indian Squad for South Africa T20I Clash Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Sanju Samson (wk), Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Washington Sunda