“Support can disappear quickly”: Irfan Pathan’s warning to Sanju Samson after MCG setback

Originally posted on Crictoday | By V.M.Suriya Narayanan | Last updated Nov 1, 2025 6:08 AM ET

Former India cricketer Irfan Pathan expressed frustration over the constant experimentation with Sanju Samson’s position in the batting order. After Shubman Gill’s early departure in the second T20I at the MCG, Samson was promoted to No. 3 but fell to Nathan Ellis, wasting a key opportunity. Irfan highlighted the importance of flexibility in T20 cricket but stressed that it should not come at the expense of consistency.

“When it comes to Sanju Samson, I’m not sure how beneficial it will be if he continues to be shuffled up and down the batting order. I get that in T20 cricket, apart from openers, most players don’t have a set position, and flexibility is crucial. While flexibility is important, it shouldn’t stretch so far that you lose the stability that comes with clear and defined roles,” Pathan said.

Irfan Pathan spoke about how changing Sanju Samson’s batting order is impacting his ability. After the T20 World Cup 2024, Samson was successful as an opener, scoring three centuries. However, when Shubman Gill returned to the T20 squad for the 2025 Asia Cup, Samson was shifted down the order.

“Constantly shifting a player’s order can have a significant impact. For instance, batting in the middle overs against an older ball, as Sanju Samson did in the Asia Cup, is a completely different challenge compared to opening the innings, where he scored three centuries. It demands a different mindset, mental resilience, and backing from the team,” he added.

Irfan Pathan warned Sanju Samson that while he currently has the backing of the captain and coach, it could soon change if he fails to take advantage of the opportunities.

“There’s no question that he’s receiving the backing he requires. However, that support can disappear quickly if a player experiences three or four consecutive failures. Let’s hope that doesn’t happen with Sanju Samson,” he concluded.

This article first appeared on Crictoday and was syndicated with permission.

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