Ryan ten Doeschate puts weight behind Sanju Samson ahead of Asia Cup 2025 Super 4 clash against Bangladesh

India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has put his weight behind Sanju Samson ahead of the Asia Cup Super Fours clash against Bangladesh on Wednesday. The former Dutch batter said Samson is still figuring out how to play the middle order role.

Samson scored 13 runs off 17 balls against the arch rivals as he looked a bit tentative in the middle while batting at number five. In the last Group A fixture, Samson had scored 56 runs off 45 balls against Oman while batting at number three and was awarded the Player of the Match.

Ryan ten Doeschate said in the press conference on Tuesday, “He’s had two outings now, two decent chances. He’s still figuring out how to play that role. The wicket also got a bit [tougher] in the Pakistan game. Certainly, with the way Shubman and Abhi are going at the top and you’ve got the captain batting at three. And the way Tilak’s [Varma] played, we are really looking for a No. 5.

“We believe Sanju is the best man for that job. We’ve got no doubt that he will figure out how to play that role in the future,” Ten Doeschate added.

Meanwhile, India has a potent squad and players like Rinku Singh and Jitesh Sharma are waiting in the wings. Doeschate added it is difficult for the duo to get their chances in the continental tournament.

He added, “Obviously, we tried in Abu Dhabi to get some guys some time at the wickets. But, we are trying to manage looking ahead and also managing important tournaments like the Asia Cup. So it’s very difficult for someone like a Jitesh or a Rinku to get a game given the situation we find ourselves in. But the boys are doing excellent work in training.

India will next take on Bangladesh at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Wednesday.