Dubai [UAE]: As India gear up to face arch-rivals Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2025 final at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday (September 28), all eyes are on wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who stands on the cusp of scripting history in multi-nation T20I tournaments.

The Kerala cricketer, who has been in fine form during the competition, has already amassed 108 runs in three innings at an average of 36.00 and a strike rate of 127.05, including a half-century. A solid performance in the summit clash could see him surpass the tournament tallies of MS Dhoni and Rishabh Pant, cementing his place among India’s top-performing wicketkeeper-batters on the global stage.

Strong tournament form

Samson’s best score so far has been 56 against Oman, while he has contributed 13 and 39 runs batting at number five in two other matches. Though he has not opened in this tournament — a role that revived his career last year — he has showcased versatility in the middle order. With vice-captain Shubman Gill and Abhishek Sharma opening, India have enjoyed a flexible batting lineup where Samson has slotted in seamlessly.

Chasing history

Currently, Samson requires just 64 more runs to eclipse Rishabh Pant’s tally from the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, where Pant struck 171 runs in eight innings at 24.42 average with a strike rate of 127.61.

If Samson goes past Pant, he will also move beyond MS Dhoni’s landmark 154 runs from India’s triumphant 2007 ICC T20 World Cup campaign, where Dhoni averaged 30.80 at a strike rate of 128.33. Notably, Dhoni’s 36 against Australia in the semifinal was considered a crucial knock in India’s title-winning run.

Nearing 1,000 T20I runs

Beyond the Asia Cup milestone, Samson is also just 31 runs away from completing 1,000 T20I runs. So far, he has accumulated 969 runs in 48 matches and 41 innings, averaging 26.18 with an impressive strike rate of over 149. His record includes three centuries and three fifties, with a highest score of 111.

India and Pakistan squads

India squad: Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Sanju Samson (w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Jitesh Sharma, Rinku Singh, Shivam Dube.

Pakistan squad: Sahibzada Farhan, Fakhar Zaman, Saim Ayub, Salman Agha (c), Hussain Talat, Mohammad Haris (w), Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Abrar Ahmed, Hasan Ali, Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Salman Mirza, Hasan Nawaz, Sufiyan Muqeem.

Conclusion

For Samson, the final is more than just a chance to help India lift the Asia Cup — it is an opportunity to etch his name alongside Dhoni and Pant in Indian T20I history. With the high-voltage India-Pakistan clash already grabbing global attention, Samson’s bat could well decide not only the title but also his standing among India’s modern greats.