Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav urged Sanju Samson and the rest of the batting lineup, barring the openers, to be flexible to bat across positions at all times ahead of the T20I series against South Africa. Samson excelled in T20Is as India's opener post the 2024 T20 World Cup until the end of last year.However, after a subpar home series against England and the return of Shubman Gill in the T20I squad, the Kerala wicketkeeper has batted down the order. Samson also missed the final three games of India's most recent T20I series in Australia, with Jitesh Sharma being preferred.When asked about Gill replacing Samson as the opener in T20Is, Suryakumar Yadav said in the pre-match press conference (via India Today):"In terms of Sanju, when he came onto the circuit, he batted higher up the order. Now the thing is, other than the openers, I feel everyone else has to be very flexible. He really did well when he opened the innings. But Shubman has played before him in the Sri Lanka series, so he deserved to take that spot. We gave Sanju Samson opportunities; he was ready to bat at any number. It’s good to see a player being ready to bat in any position."He added:"From 3–6, anywhere. I have told this to all the batters: other than the openers, everyone has to be flexible. Both are in the scheme of things. It’s always good to have both of them as part of the squad. One can open, one can bat lower down the order. Both can do all the roles. It’s an asset to our team and a good headache to have."Battling poor form and the move down the order, Sanju has struggled in T20Is this year, averaging an underwhelming 18.50 at a strike rate of under 121 in 14 matches. Yet, while predominantly opening the batting last year, the right-hander averaged an impressive 43.60 at a strike rate of 180.16 in 13 outings."You might see Tilak Varma at 6 or Shivam Dube at 3" - Suryakumar YadavSuryakumar Yadav continued to stress the importance of all the non-opening batters needing to bat anywhere in the batting order. Despite regular changes to the batting order this year, the Men in Blue have remained dominant in T20Is, winning 13 out of their 17 matches ( two No-results)."All the batters from 3-7 can bat anywhere. You might see Tilak Varma at 6 or Shivam Dube at 3. Everyone is flexible. The squad looks good and strong," said Suryakumar Yadav (via RevSportz X handle).With only two months to go before the 2026 T20 World Cup at home, the South African series gives Team India a chance to lock in on their near-final playing XI. The first of five T20Is will be played in Cuttack on Tuesday, December 9.