‘Hate the idea of Sanju batting down the order’: Robin Uthappa warns Sanju Samson to open in IPL 2026 or risk being axed – sportingnews.com

Saurav Goyal
Sportzpics, BCCI
The next IPL season has not even started, but talks around team strategies have already begun. One name that is drawing attention is Sanju Samson.
Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa has made a strong remark about where Samson should bat in IPL 2026, especially if he wants to keep his spot in the national setup.
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Uthappa believes that batting down the order could hurt the Kerala cricketer’s future. He feels Samson’s best chance is to open the innings, not just for his IPL team but also to stay in the eyes of the selectors.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Uthappa didn’t mince words. He said he hates the idea of Samson batting lower down the order.
According to him, the wicketkeeper-batter must open alongside Ruturaj Gaikwad or the young hitter Urvil Patel if the CSK-RR trade deal goes through.
“I hate the idea of Sanju batting down the order. I think you’ll probably see Sanju and Ruturaj opening the batting, or Sanju or Urvil opening the batting,” said Uthappa.
He explained that batting in the top order gives Samson the best chance to play freely and build big innings. Uthappa also warned that if Samson agrees to play lower in the order and fails, the selectors might use that as an excuse to overlook him for future India selections.
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“If Sanju has to continue to push for a spot in the Indian team at the top of the order, he has to open the batting. If he bats anywhere below that number, then he’s doing himself a massive disservice, and they [selectors] will use that as an excuse against [him],” he added.
Since the Asia Cup 2025, Shubman Gill has been India’s preferred opener in T20Is, while Samson hasn’t been given that role despite scoring three centuries as an opener last season.
With competition heating up and the T20 World Cup 2026 on the horizon, Samson’s IPL performance next year could decide his fate.
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Saurav Goyal is a content producer 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.

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