Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav has made it clear that Shubman Gill will walk straight back into his old opening role, pushing Sanju Samson out of the top spot once again, in the upcoming five-match T20I series against South Africa, starting on December 9 in Vishakhapatnam.
This decision comes as a major setback for Samson, who built strong momentum as an opener in T20Is. After returning to India's T20I line-up in 2024, the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter was given a steady run at the top following Rohit Sharma's retirement from the format.
Has Sanju Samson permanently lost his opening position?He took this opportunity with both hands, smashing three centuries in five innings and building a strong partnership with Abhishek Sharma. This made many believe that Samson would stay at the top for a longer time, but the entire equation shifted when Gill was named India's vice-captain ahead of the 2025 Asia Cup.
