India’s T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav was in a jovial mood as he playfully teased Sanju Samson while the Indian side made its way to the team bus after a training session in Dubai ahead of the Asia Cup 2025. Crowds had assembled outside the ICC Academy on Saturday, and when the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter came out with his teammates, chants of “Samson, Samson” filled the air.
Making the most of the cheers, Suryakumar joked, “Local boy! The Trivandrum native Sanju Samson.” Samson responded warmly, greeting fans, giving autographs, and posing for photographs.
You can watch the video here:
😂📸 | Gill’s face when the crowd goes
“SAAAM-SOOON! SAAAM-SOOON!”
Crowd love hits different when it’s for Sanju 💙👑#SanjuSamson #Gill #IndianCricket #FanLove pic.twitter.com/nl2Iuk96Zz
— CRICKET CULTURE (@CRICCULTURE09) September 7, 2025
Sanju 🤝 SKY always 💗😂 pic.twitter.com/0c4iMzJVaH
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) September 7, 2025
Sanju Samson is among the contenders for India’s opening spot in the playing XI, competing with Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill. His case is strengthened by his T20I record as an opener, where he has scored 522 runs in 17 innings at an impressive average of 32.63 and a strike rate of 178.77.
Samson’s inclusion in the starting eleven, however, remains a key talking point since Jitesh Sharma is also being considered as an option for the wicketkeeper-batter’s role. India will begin their Asia Cup 2025 campaign against hosts UAE on September 9 in Dubai, followed by a high-profile clash with Pakistan on September 14, before meeting Oman in Abu Dhabi on September 19.
Asia Cup 2025 To Kick Off On September 9 In UAE
The Asia Cup 2025 (Men’s T20 International) is officially set to begin on September 9, 2025, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The tournament will run through to September 28, 2025, featuring matches in both Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
India’s 15-Member Squad For Asia Cup 2025
Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Shubman Gill (Vice-Captain), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Sanju Samson, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh.
Standby: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Prasidh Krishna, Washington Sundar, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel.
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