Sanju Samson is quietly building a case to become India’s greatest T20I wicketkeeper-batter in multi-nation tournaments, and the Asia Cup final against Pakistan could be the perfect stage for him to make history. So far in the tournament, Samson has scored 108 runs in three innings at an average of 36 and a strike rate of 127.05, including a fifty against Oman. While he has mostly batted in the middle order—slotting in at number three, five, and eight—he has shown he can adapt to any position, even when India’s vice-captain Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma occupy the top spots. If Samson adds just 64 more runs in the final, he would surpass Rishabh Pant’s record for the best T20I multi-nation tournament by an Indian wicketkeeper-batter. Pant had scored 171 runs in eight innings during the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup at a strike rate of 127.61, with a top score of 42. Ahead of Pant, MS Dhoni set a bar during India’s 2007 ICC T20 World Cup triumph, scoring 154 runs in six innings at an average of 30.8, with a best of 45, including a crucial 36 in the semifinal against Australia.
Samson is also closing in on a personal milestone of 1,000 T20I runs. Currently, he has 969 runs in 48 matches at an average of 26.18 and a strike rate above 149, including three centuries and three fifties, with a top score of 111. Beyond the numbers, Samson has been rewriting record books with his power-hitting. After India’s thrilling Super Over win against Sri Lanka, he became India’s leading T20I wicketkeeper in terms of sixes, hitting 55 in 48 innings—surpassing Dhoni’s 52 in 85 innings. Rishabh Pant sits third with 44 sixes in 66 innings, while Ishan Kishan has 36 in 32 innings.
Poll
Will Sanju Samson surpass Rishabh Pant’s record in the Asia Cup final?
Even though Samson has been playing in the middle order this Asia Cup, he has continued to demonstrate his destructive ability. In the last game against Sri Lanka, he scored a crucial 39 at No. 5, smashing towering sixes over the sight-screen and cow corner off Hasaranga and Dasun Shanaka. These strikes helped India post a formidable 202 for 5. Samson’s adaptability, consistency, and ability to clear the ropes make him one of India’s most explosive wicketkeepers in T20 cricket. If he delivers a big knock in the Asia Cup final, he could not only set personal records but also carve his name alongside India’s top-performing wicketkeeper-batter in multi-nation tournaments.
