With the Asia Cup 2025 barely two weeks away, Sanju Samson has served up a thunderous reminder to the selectors and perhaps even a pointed response to chief selector Ajit Agarkar. The Kerala star blasted a 42-ball century in the Kerala Cricket League, a knock that seemed as much about silencing critics as it was about winning matches.
A Knock With a Statement
Walking out for the Kochi Blue Tigers against the Aries Kollam Sailors, Samson was all intent and aggression. He reached his fifty in just 16 deliveries, and then pressed the pedal down to notch up a hundred in 42 balls. By the time the dust settled, Samson had smashed 121 off 51 deliveries, peppered with 14 fours and seven sixes.
It wasn’t just the numbers, it was the timing. Coming just days after Agarkar’s remark that “Sanju was playing because Shubman and Yashasvi were not available at that point”, this innings looked like a direct answer. The message was loud and clear: Samson isn’t a stand-in he is a first choice opener.
Agarkar’s ‘Availability’ Jibe
When announcing the squad, Agarkar had been blunt:
“Sanju was playing because Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal were not available at that point. So was Abhishek. Abhishek’s performances clearly make it hard to leave him out. Plus, his bowling is handy.”
It was a statement that raised eyebrows. Many saw it as a slight to Samson’s consistency. But if this innings was anything to go by, Samson has let his bat do the talking and the noise will be hard for the selectors to ignore.
Samson’s T20I Numbers at the Top
Samson’s case isn’t just built on domestic fireworks. In 17 T20Is as an opener, he has already compiled:
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3 Centuries and 1 Fifty
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522 Runs overall
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A historic 2024 campaign, where he became the first player to hit three T20I tons in a calendar year
Those numbers include unforgettable knocks 111 (47) vs Bangladesh, 107 (50) vs South Africa, and 109 (56) vs South Africa* again. Against world-class bowling, Samson has looked like a man who belongs.
India’s Asia Cup Quest
As India prepare to open their campaign against UAE on September 10, the focus will be as much on the team’s title defence as on their final XI composition. With Shubman Gill returning as vice captain and Yashasvi Jaiswal continuing his rise, the question looms large:
Will Samson be India’s opener of choice, or will he be pushed down, even risked being left out?
What is certain is this: Samson’s latest knock was not just a century it was a statement of intent. The Asia Cup may decide whether that message is heard or ignored.
