A flood of questions engulfed the management over Sanju Samson’s possible position in the struggling batting order of team India.The Batting coach, Sitanshu Kotak confirmed on Wednesday that Rinku Singh is expected to rejoin the squad tonight after rushing home to be with his father, who is battling stage-4 liver cancer. However, the real story brewing at the Chepauk Stadium is the potential inclusion of Sanju Samson to fix a left-heavy batting order, but who misses out? Abhishek Sharma or Rinku Singh.
The ‘Lefty-Heavy’ Dilemma
India’s current lineup is suffering from a tactical imbalance that opposition teams have successfully exploited with off-spin. With six left-handers in the top eight, including the top three of Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak Varma, the “Men in Blue” have looked predictable.
Kotak admitted that the management is actively discussing changes to introduce more right-handed variety to disrupt bowling matchups.
“There can be changes, yes. We are thinking because there are two lefties opening, the number three batter is also left-handed, and the opposition’s bowling options… there will definitely be thoughts,” Kotak told reporters in Chennai.
Samson to Replace Abhishek or Rinku Singh?
While Abhishek Sharma remains the World No. 1 T20I batter, his tournament has been a struggle, marked by three ducks and a lack of momentum following a recent illness. During Tuesday’s practice, the contrast was visible: Samson had a marathon net session, while Abhishek spent an extended period bowling before taking his turn with the bat.
Samson is widely tipped to either replace Rinku Singh, who has struggled with just 24 runs in five innings, or slot in at No. 3 to break the left-hand chain at the top. This move would allow India to better handle the spin-friendly conditions expected at Chepauk.
No Room for Error
Following a crushing 76-run defeat to South Africa, India’s Net Run Rate has plummeted to -3.80. To keep their semi-final hopes alive, the defending champions must not only beat Zimbabwe on Thursday but do so by a massive margin to repair the damage to their standing in the Super 8 table.
With Rinku Singh back in the camp and Samson’s extended session in the nets, the final XI for Thursday’s 7:00 PM IST start remains the most anticipated selection of India’s campaign.
