"He deserved to take that spot": Suryakumar explains why Gill was preferred over Sanju Samson

Speaking on the decision, Suryakumar said, "In terms of Sanju, yes, when he came into the circuit, he batted higher up the order. Now the thing is, other than the openers, I feel everyone has to be very flexible. He did really well before he played, when he opened the innings but Shubman had played before him in the Sri Lanka series. So, he deserved to take that spot. We gave Sanju opportunities. He was ready to bat at any number, which actually is good to see any player being very flexible, batting from 3 to 6 anywhere. So, that is one thing which I have told all the batters."

Samson has featured in 51 T20Is, scoring 995 runs at an average of 25.11. His numbers, however, reflect a stark contrast based on his batting position. While opening for India, Samson has amassed 522 runs in 17 matches at an average of 39.48 and a striking strike rate of 182.20, including three centuries and a fifty but his impact has dipped when not opening, with 473 runs from 26 T20Is, along with two half-centuries.

Shubman Gill, on the other hand, has played 33 T20Is and opened in all of them. He has scored 837 runs at an average of 29.89 and a strike rate of 140.43, with one hundred and three fifties. Average and strike rate both are lower than Samson's opening average and strike rate, but backed by consistent selection in the role.

Suryakumar further highlighted that flexibility remains a key requirement for the squad, especially among wicketkeeper-batters Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma.

"Other than openers, everyone has to be very flexible. So, both (Sanju and Jitesh Sharma) are in the scheme of things. It is always good to have flexible players like both of them being part of that squad. One can open, one can bat lower down the order. Both can do all the loads. So, it is an asset to our team and also a good headache to have," he added.

Jitesh Sharma has played 12 T20Is so far, scoring 125 runs at an average of 15.62. (ANI)