Ashwin seeks clarity on Sanju Samson's T20I role, Chopra picks Varun Chakravarthy as lone spinner: 'I want to see...'

Former Indian spinner R Ashwin is looking forward to seeing how the team can fit in Sanju Samson in the playing XI for the first T20I against South Africa, while Aakash Chopra feels Varun Chakravarthy will play as the lone spinner for the Men In Blue. India take on South Africa in a five-match T20I series with the first match being played at Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium on Tuesday (9 December).

Samson was demoted from the opening slot in India’s playing XI in T20Is after Shubman Gill’s inclusion for the Asia Cup 2025. In Australia last month, he lost his place completely in the playing XI for the final match as Jitesh Sharma was preferred at No 7.

Ashwin seeks clarity on Samson’s role in India’s T20I team

Ashwin feels the South Africa T20I series would give a good idea of Samson’s role in the team as India get ready for the T20 World Cup 2026.

“I want to see if India will give Samson a chance at three, or will they go with Suryakumar and Tilak at three and four. They tried to use Sanju here in Australia. The template had to be changed for Gill came in. Sanju was opening and giving that keeping option. Now that the opening batter and keeper has gone, you are having to accommodate a keeper and finisher down the order. I will be looking forward from India’s perspective, if we are giving role clarity to batters,” Ashwin said on ‘Ash ki Baat’.

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“I am very keen to watch this T20 series. South Africa is one team that can match us in batting power. I also want to see if they can be real contenders going into the World Cup, looking at their bowling. I don’t see much bowling teeth. Whether they can match up to Kuldeep (Yadav), Varun (Chakaravarthy), and (Jasprit) Bumrah throughout the series will give us a fair idea. It is an important series for India as well, because they have to finalise their XI and batting positions and role clarities. We have experimented a lot. We will need some stability,” he added.

Aakash Chopra backs Varun Chakaravarthy

Meanwhile, former India opener Aakash Chopra has said that Varun Chakaravarthy may get picked as the sole specialist spinner over Kuldeep Yadav in India’s playing XI during the first T20I against South Africa in Cuttack.

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Chopra said on X that India would go with two pacers as there’s a danger of dew in Cuttack and hence only one specialist spinner could play. And that would be Varun Chakravarthy. He added that all-rounder Axar Patel will be the second spinning option.

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My India Playing XI for the first T20i. Agree? Disagree? #IndvSA #AakashVani pic.twitter.com/1YTGcBzh93

— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) December 9, 2025

Aakash Chopra’s predicted playing XI for India: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (C), Tilak Verma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakravarthy.