India, Nov. 6 -- After batting just once in the ongoing T20I series against Australia, where wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson was promoted to No. 3, the Indian team management appears to have moved on to Jitesh Sharma. For the second time in the series, Samson was left out of the playing XI, with Jitesh preferred for the middle-order role in both the third and fourth T20Is. The move left former India cricketer Aakash Chopra puzzled, as he also warned that Jitesh could soon face a similar fate.

Since the last T20 World Cup, Samson has been India's third-highest run-getter in the format, excelling as an opener alongside Abhishek Sharma and registering three centuries last year. However, with Shubman Gill returning for the Asia Cup and bein...