3 clear indications from India's T20I squad selection vs Bangladesh ft. Sanju Samson the opener
Rain is playing spoilsport in Kanpur, with the second Test between India and Bangladesh all set to end in a tame draw. Meanwhile, the BCCI recently named the Men in Blue's T20I squad to take on the Tigers in three fixtures next month.
Suryakumar Yadav will lead India once again, while a vice-captain hasn't been named despite Hardik Pandya's presence in the squad. The contingent featured a few surprises, with most of them being happy ones for fans of the 2024 T20 World Cup winners.
India’s squad for the 3 T20Is against Bangladesh: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Riyan Parag, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Arshdeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mayank Yadav.
While Ajit Agarkar hasn't held a press conference to reveal the selectors' thinking behind selecting the squad, a few things are quite evident. On that note, here are three clear indications from India's T20I squad for the Bangladesh series.
#3 Sanju Samson is going to be given a run as an opener
Sanju Samson has been shunted up and down the order in his T20I career. In 30 appearances, he has batted everywhere from the top of the order to No. 7. Against Bangladesh, it seems like the Rajasthan Royals captain will partner Abhishek Sharma against the new ball.
Samson has been used in that role before recently. He opened the batting in a T20I against Sri Lanka in July and has also manned the position in the odd practice game. This time around, it seems like he will be given a proper run in the role since India haven't named any other players who can partner Abhishek.
Samson's T20I career has refused to take off, but the selectors clearly back his ability. He's on course to be given three games in a stable role, which is a rare occurrence for him with the national team.
#2 India recognize the value Varun Chakaravarthy can add
Varun Chakaravarthy hasn't played a T20I since the 2021 T20 World Cup, with only six total appearances. With Kuldeep Yadav and Ravi Bishnoi coming through the ranks and nailing down their candidature, it seemed like the Kolkata Knight Riders man would struggle to enter the fray.
However, Chakaravarthy has broken the door down with two stellar campaigns in the Indian Premier League, where he bowled the challenging overs for the Knight Riders and played an integral role in their title run in 2024. Bowlers like him are hard to come by, and India have recognized that.
Despite Chakaravarthy being on the wrong side of 30 and a liability on the field, the selectors have backed him to deliver four quality overs with the ball. This is a clear indication of the fact that under the new regime, performances have been rewarded more fairly than earlier.
#1 Gautam Gambhir and Co. aren't afraid to try fresh faces
Ever since Gautam Gambhir was named as the head coach, India haven't been hesistant to try new players. Several caps were handed out in Zimbabwe, including Tushar Deshpande, Riyan Parag, Abhishek Sharma and Sai Sudharsan, to name a few.
Going forward too, that trend seems set to continue. The squad for the Bangladesh T20I series features three uncapped players - Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mayank Yadav and Harshit Rana. All three are hugely exciting players and deserve to be fast-tracked into the setup, as they have been done.
Squads like the current one show that Gambhir and Co. have an eye on the 2026 T20 World Cup, which will see India's team wear a totally different look to the unit that secured the trophy earlier this year.