Sanju Samson at No.8! India fans furious after his demotion in IND vs BAN Asia Cup 2025 - 'Unfairly ridiculed player'

Saurav Goyal

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Sanju Samson at No.8! India fans furious after his demotion in IND vs BAN Asia Cup 2025 - 'Unfairly ridiculed player' image

(getty)

Sanju Samson’s role in Team India has once again become a big talking point.

Ahead of the Asia Cup Super Four game against Bangladesh, coaches and management had spoken strongly about backing him in the middle order.

But when the match happened, Samson was sent way down the batting line-up, shocking fans and sparking anger on social media.

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Why was Sanju Samson pushed down to No.8 against Bangladesh?

Just a day before the game, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate had told reporters that Samson was being trusted for the No.5 role.

He explained that the team believed Samson was the best option for that position, and management had “no doubt” he would grow into it.

Naturally, everyone expected Samson to come at that spot when India lost quick wickets.

Instead, the order was shuffled completely. Hardik Pandya, Tilak Varma, and even Axar Patel batted ahead of him. To make things more confusing, Shivam Dube was promoted to No.3.

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By the time Samson finally came in, India’s innings had already lost rhythm. This sudden change left fans questioning whether the management really trusts him at all.

Fans furious after Samson's demotion in IND vs BAN Asia Cup 2025

Samson has not had the best run in the tournament, with one scratchy knock against Pakistan where he struggled for timing.

But he had also shown promise earlier with a fifty against Oman. Sending him at No.8 against Bangladesh looked less like backing and more like sidelining.

Fans were quick to point out that if India wanted a finisher-style wicketkeeper, Jitesh Sharma was already available. Then why pick Samson and not use him in the role promised?

MORE: Asia Cup 2025: Complete schedule, dates, venues and teams

Many felt it was unfair treatment. The outrage on Twitter was strong, with people calling it “ridicule” of a player who was promised backing but instead was benched within the XI itself.

Let's take a look at the reactions:

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Saurav Goyal

Saurav Goyal is a Content Producer at the Sporting News with over two years of experience in covering cricket. An avid cricket fan for more than two decades, his passion for the game led him to writing. Since then, he’s been delivering the latest news and engaging content to keep cricket fans informed and entertained.