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Sanju Samson In, 3 Pacers: India's Practice Session Drops Major Hints Of Playing XI

Probuddha Bhattacharjee

Sanju Samson and Hardik Pandya in India's practice session [Source: @BCCI/x.com]Sanju Samson and Hardik Pandya in India's practice session [Source: @BCCI/x.com]

India are all set to begin their Asia Cup 2025 campaign with the game against the United Arab Emirates. Ahead of their first match, the team was seen involved in an intense practice session. The players tried to brush up their skills one final time before beginning their campaign.

India's first match will be at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. From a  video released by BCCI on their X handle here are few of the biggest takeaways from the practice session of the team - 

Hardik Pandya and Shubman Gill are concentrating on big hitting

One of the big surprises for the Indian cricket fans when the Asia Cup 2025 squad was announced was the inclusion of Shubman Gill and his selection as the vice-captain of the team. There have been discussions about him being a bit too slow with the bat, and that, in turn, causes the team to fall short of the par total. However, this is a new India with a new mindset and Gill was seen working on his big shots.

Besides Gill, Hardik Pandya, who will be seen in the role of a finisher for India, was seen going for the big shots. Pandya's presence will be crucial, as he is expected to provide India with the final push with the bat in most games, and hence, his practice of trying to play big shots.

Indication of bowling combination

Harshit Rana was seen sweating it out with the ball. While this might force a few of the fans to think that India might opt for a three-pacer option, the fact that Kuldeep Yadav, Akar Patel and Varun Chakaravarthy were also seen with the ball might be confusing. 

If India decides to go by the nature of the wicket, a three-spinner combination looks all set. However, given the fact that the match is against the United Arab Emirates and they might struggle against a quality pace attack, Harshit Rana might be given a go. Notably, Jasprit Bumrah and Arshdeep Singh were seen working mostly on their fitness.

Sanju Samson in the mix of things?

There has been a lot of debate about the position of Sanju Samson in the current Indian T20I set-up. He was the opener for the team ahead of this tournament. But now with the inclusion of Shubman Gill, there is a direct toss between these two players as to who will start the innings for India.

If the latest practice session visuals are to be considered, along with Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson was also seen practising his big shots. This suggests that India might play Samson and put Gill at number three in the lineup. 

Conclsuion

There are some indications of how India might shape up in their first match against the United Arab Emirates. However, there is no confirmation, but there is a chance that India might go in with three pacers, and we can see Sanju Samson playing.