Sanju Samson, Jitesh Sharma, Or Rinku Singh: Who Can Solve India's No.6 Puzzle In Asia Cup

Rinku vs Jitesh vs Samson [Source: AFP Photo]

The India squad for the 2025 Asia Cup was announced on Tuesday, and the selectors revealed a strong team for the marquee event. The Men in Blue are the defending champions and will be the favourites to clinch the championship. The squad has almost all the bases covered, but there is only one missing puzzle.

With reports of Abhishek Sharma, and Shubman Gill opening, the keeper's slot is vacant, and also the number 6 position is wide open at the moment. In all likelihood, Hardik Pandya will bat at number 5, and Axar Patel will be used as a floater, and that leaves us with the questionable number 6 spot.

The team has three candidates for the position: Sanju Samson, Rinku Singh, and Jitesh Sharma. In this piece, we will analyze which of these three players is the right fit for the position.

Samson vs Jitesh vs Rinku: The ideal candidate for No.6 spot

The number 6 spot is crucial in a T20 game, as the batter playing at that spot is required to be a brilliant finisher, and at the same time, has to accelerate the innings and take the team to a secured total/or past the winning line in a chase. Let us look at how the three batters (Samson, Jitesh, Rinku) have performed at the number 6 spot.

(Samson, Jitesh, Rinku at number 6 in IPL)

• We have taken the Indian Premier League (IPL) record to measure their stats at number 6, and one clear winner stands out. Most of Samson's exploits have come in at the opening slot, and he generally struggles at 6. The Kerala batter has a strike rate of just 102, and it showcases his inability to finish games.

• Jitesh Sharma has been a standout performer at 6, and so has been Rinku Singh. The duo is known for their finishing abilities, and it reflects on their stats. Jitesh strikes at 168.75, and Rinku at 137. Jitesh was outstanding for RCB at number 6, and clearly has the edge over the other two candidates.

Rinku eliminated, why Samson-Jitesh could be the only two choices

• With Abhishek, Gill, Tilak, Suryakumar, and Hardik as the first five players, India clearly needs a keeper-batter, and hence, Rinku Singh has to sacrifice his spot. That leaves us with the Samson vs Jitesh battle for number 6, and perhaps the winner is already in front of us.
• What is the main requirement at number 6?. The position requires the batter to have a high strike rate, and the ability to finish off matches. Clearly, Jitesh Sharma has the edge over Samson in both departments. He has a higher strike rate, and as everyone saw in the IPL, he can finish matches too.

Final verdict

Despite being the second best batter amongst the three candidates (in terms of runs, strike rate), Rinku Singh has to be eliminated, simply because he cannot keep, and India is looking for a keeper. Now, the number 6 spot requires a finisher, and Jitesh Sharma is a master of it, javing done that for PBKS, and RCB.

Hence, it has to be Jitesh Sharma at number 6, with Samson perhaps not getting a game in the Asia Cup, unless someone gets injured.

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