'Shubman Gill is now in the Kohli-Rohit league': SA great on why India's new opener leaves Sanju Samson trapped on the bench

Sanju Samson's T20I future appears uncertain as Shubman Gill's elevated status pushes him out of the playing XI. Experts suggest Gill is now in the league of Rohit and Kohli, making it difficult to displace him from the opening slot. This leaves Samson, a successful opener, relegated to a finisher role, which many believe doesn't suit him.
Shubman Gill and Sanju Samson
NEW DELHI: In Cuttack on Tuesday, Sanju Samson’s name did not appear on the playing XI list for India against South Africa in the first T20I. For the fourth time in India’s last six T20Is, the wicketkeeper-batter watched from the sidelines as Jitesh Sharma took his place. The selection call reopened a debate that began when the BCCI unveiled their ‘Shubman Gill plan’ during the Asia Cup — a move that shifted Samson from his successful opening role into the middle order for just five innings before he was dropped for a specialist finisher.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! This time, the discussion came with a stinging dose of praise — not for Samson, but for the man whose rise has pushed him out. Former South Africa great Shaun Pollock felt the decision reflected India’s elevation of Gill into a rare bracket.
Inside a champion’s mind | ft. Shafali, Deepti and Saiyami | TOI’s Ideas for India
“Yes, Sanju got a raw deal… I suppose you kind of need to look at Shubman Gill from a different perspective now. I think he is almost being elevated to the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ,” Pollock told Cricbuzz. He pointed to how stalwarts work their way back into a side when available. “When they came back into teams, where did they go? They went back into their position. It wasn’t a case of shifting them down.” Pollock added that Gill’s recent Test exploits in England only strengthened his status, making it nearly impossible to move him from the top. “I think what he’s shown, even in that Test series in England, is that he’s the number one, isn’t he, batting-wise?… It’s just team dynamics. When Shubman comes back… I think he’s the best player, so he goes to the top.”
Poll
Do you agree with Shaun Pollock's comparison of Shubman Gill to Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli?
Yes, he is among the best now No, it's too early to compare I need to see more performances I disagree with this comparison
He also highlighted Gill’s chemistry with Abhishek Sharma. “They know each other’s game really well and bounce off each other nicely.” Joining the panel, former Kolkata Knight Riders team director Joy Bhattacharjya delivered a blunt conclusion about Samson’s selection. “If you’re not going to bat Sanju up the order, then keeping him really doesn’t make sense… If you’ve fixed that spot and Shubman has taken it, then your keeper has to be a finisher, which is Jitesh.” He suggested India instead pick another finisher-keeper like Rishabh Pant . “There’s no point… rather than have Sanju batting out of position.” Samson’s overall record only deepens the dilemma. He has scored three hundreds as a T20I opener with a brilliant strike rate. Yet with Gill now rising into what Pollock calls the Kohli-Rohit league, Samson’s future in T20Is looks uncertain.
End of Article