Sun Oct 06 04:11:46 UTC 2024: ## India Confirms Samson as Second Opener for Bangladesh T20I Series
**Gwalior, India:** India has announced Sanju Samson as their second opener for the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh, starting on Sunday at the Shrimant Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium. The wicketkeeper-batter will partner Abhishek Sharma at the top of the order, providing a chance for him to solidify his place in the side.
Samson, who has previously opened the innings for India in T20Is, has 30 caps in the format and will be looking to make a strong impact.
“The second opener is Sanju Samson. He will play, and he will open in the series going forward,” confirmed India skipper Suryakumar Yadav in the pre-match press conference.
The series also presents an opportunity for several uncapped players to make their mark, including pacer Mayank Yadav, and pace all-rounders Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy.
“It is a good opportunity,” said Suryakumar. “As we have seen, they played for their states and IPL franchises and have a lot of potential to make an impact in the game.”
The captain acknowledged the potential of Mayank Yadav, who impressed during IPL 2024 with his pace, but revealed that the young bowler was not yet faced in the nets due to logistical reasons.
“There is an X factor in all the players, not just him,” said Suryakumar. “It feels good to see the small bits and pieces coming together. I did not play him in the nets because our net planning was a bit down, and someone else faced him. But I have seen what he has done, what potential he has and what difference he can make for the team.”
Suryakumar also addressed concerns regarding the pitch, stating that despite initial predictions of a slow wicket, the surface appears to be good for T20 cricket.
“We didn’t find the wicket low and slow. We practiced for three days. But we didn’t find much difference. According to the T20 game, the wickets are good. Yes, it is competitive. But at the same time, it looks good,” concluded Suryakumar.
First Piper 