IND vs SA: 'Move forward with Jitesh Sharma' - Irfan Pathan weighs in on Sanju Samson's slot in India's middle order

Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan has supported the decision to replace Sanju Samson with Jitesh Sharma in India's T20I playing XI during the ongoing South Africa series, citing Jitesh's superior experience in the lower-middle order batting position.

The change came after Shubman Gill's return to the top order, which pushed Samson down the batting order. Jitesh, who specializes as a finisher, has shown better adaptability in the role compared to Samson's minimal returns.



"It's a fair call because you will face difficulty going forward if you are thinking about batting Sanju Samson down the order. Sanju Samson has batted up the order, in the top three, in his entire career. It's a very difficult job if you go down from there. He played a very good knock in the Asia Cup while batting in the middle overs," Pathan commented on Star Sports.

The former cricketer emphasized the importance of consistency in team selection, stating: "However, if you have to choose one between the two as to who will be more competent and proceed with one plan, you are proceeding with Jitesh Sharma currently, and you will have to move forward with him only. If you keep chopping and changing, you will have difficulties going forward."

Following India's victory against South Africa on Tuesday, Jitesh spoke about his relationship with Samson, expressing gratitude and respect for his teammate.

"I am very grateful that he is in the team and I am under him. He is like an elder brother to me," Jitesh remarked. "Because of healthy competition, your talent comes out. It's good for the team. Sanju bhai is out, and I am playing. He is a great player—one of the great players. If I have to compete with him and play shoulder to shoulder, I have to bring my A-game."

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