India captain Suryakumar Yadav said Shubman Gill deserved an opportunity at the top of the order upon his return to the T20I set-up, justifying the team management’s decision to slot him in ahead of Sanju Samson. Speaking to the press on the eve of the first T20I between India and South Africa in Cuttack, Suryakumar stressed that Samson remains part of the plans despite being dropped from the XI during the previous series in Australia.

Samson, who returned to T20I cricket in 2023, made an impression after receiving consistent opportunities to open the batting from October 2024. He struck three centuries in five innings across October and November, appearing to cement his place in the XI while forging a potent opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma.

However, Samson had to vacate the

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