IND vs SA, 1st T20I: Samson or Jitesh? Skipper Surya says 'good headache to have'

India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav has made it clear that Sanju Samson will have to compete with Jitesh Sharma for a place in the playing XI in the upcoming five-match series against South Arica. The first of five T20Is is set to be played on Tuesday (Dec 9) in Cuttack. Samson was promoted up the order as opener in absence of Shubman Gill but once India's Test and ODI skipper returned, Samson was pushed down in the middle order. With 2026 T20 World Cup less than three months away, Samson would be hoping to use any opportunity provided to cement his place.

SKY on Sanju vs Jitesh in South Africa T20Is

"We gave Sanju opportunities. He was ready to bat at any number, which is actually good to see a player being flexible to bat anywhere from No. 3 to 6. That's one thing I have told all the batters that other than openers, everyone has to be very flexible. Both [Samson and Jitesh] are in the scheme of things. It's always good to have lovely players like both of them. One can open, one can bat lower down the order. In fact, both can do all the roles. It's an asset to the team and a good headache to have," SKY said on the eve of the first match.

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Pandya, Gill set to return

Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya both will be returning to the T20I side after recovering from their respective injuries. Both the players are set to be included in the playing XI right away which could open up a couple of selection headaches for Surya and the team management. India will be hoping to use the series as a preparation camp for upcoming World Cup where they will enter as the defending champions, having the win the trophy two years ago under Rohit Sharma.