Sanju Samson or Jitesh Sharma - who should be India's first choice wicket-keeper for 2025 Asia Cup?

The 2025 Asia Cup is just a few days away, and defending champions India began their training on Friday, September 5, in Dubai. The Men in Blue have been placed in Group A alongside hosts UAE, Oman, and Pakistan.

While India’s playing XI is largely settled, the appointment of Shubman Gill as vice-captain is expected to bring changes at the top of the order. With Abhishek Sharma currently ranked as the No. 1 T20I batter, Sanju Samson could be affected by these adjustments.

However, as a wicketkeeper option, Samson may find himself batting in a position other than opening. Legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has suggested that he could bat at No. 3 or drop down to No. 6 to take on the role of finisher.

The 30-year-old faces competition from Jitesh Sharma, who impressed with his performances for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during IPL 2025. With Samson’s top-order position uncertain, there is a possibility that Jitesh could get a nod, given his greater experience in middle-order batting.

On that note, in this article, we assess whether Sanju Samson or Jitesh Sharma should be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper for the 2025 Asia Cup.

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Comparing Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma’s numbers in T20Is for India

Since making his debut in 2015, Sanju Samson has featured in T20Is for India. The right-handed batter has scored 861 runs at an average of 25.32, with a strike rate of 152.38, including two fifties and three hundreds. Most of his runs have come while opening the batting, where he has scored 532 runs in 17 innings at an average of 32.63 and a strike rate of 178.77.

In comparison, Jitesh Sharma has played just nine T20Is for India, scoring 100 runs in seven innings at an average of 14.28 and a strike rate of 147.05, with a highest score of 35.

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Overall record in T20 Cricket

Looking at Sanju Samson’s overall record across all T20s, he has played 304 matches, scoring 7,629 runs at an average of 29.68 with a strike rate of 137.01, including 48 fifties and six centuries.

Meanwhile, Jitesh Sharma has less experience than Samson, having played 141 matches and accumulated 2,886 runs at an average of 27.22 with a strike rate of 152.29, including 11 fifties and one century.

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Recent form

Before joining India’s squad in Dubai for the 2025 Asia Cup, Sanju Samson represented Kochi Blue Tigers in the ongoing Kerala Cricket League (KCL). He scored 368 runs in six innings at an average of 73.60 with a strike rate of 186.80, including three fifties and one century, showcasing his excellent form.

Meanwhile, Jitesh Sharma led NECO Master Blaster to the championship during the 2025 Vidarbha Pro T20 League. He played seven games in the competition, scoring 153 runs at an average of 51.00 with a strike rate of 177.91.

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Sanju Samson deserves a chance ahead of Jitesh Sharma under all circumstances

Based on the records and recent form mentioned above, Sanju Samson has clearly stamped his authority. While Jitesh Sharma has been performing well, Sanju, who was India’s second-choice wicketkeeper during the 2024 T20 World Cup, deserves to play ahead of anyone, especially with Rishabh Pant not in the squad.

Over the past year, Samson has been a regular feature in T20Is, playing 18 matches since the start of 2024. Given the faith the management has shown in him over the last 18 months, it is now up to the team to decide where he fits best in the XI, whether to continue him as an opener or slot him into the middle order. Dropping Samson or not giving him a game in the Asia Cup would be unfair to the 30-year-old.

Additionally, his experience in international and IPL cricket makes him adaptable to any role, and his recent impressive form further strengthens his case. All these factors indicate that Sanju Samson should be India’s first-choice wicketkeeper for the 2025 Asia Cup.