Conversation between coach, player

“The first thing is that regarding the clarity Sanju Samson needed, he has been given that from my side. That’s a conversation strictly between the player and the head coach. That conversation is not going to come outside,” Gambhir told reporters after the latest defeat.

Gambhir affirmed that Samson’s contributions were not discarded altogether even though the Kerala wicket-keeper was recently dropped from the T20I squad for the upcoming Zimbabwe tour.

“Regarding Sanju, we are very clear what he has done for India has been phenomenal and sometimes you just have to look at the form of a certain player. There is no hard and fast rule that he cannot make a comeback in this series.”

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While India’s selections have come under the scanner following their extended winless streak, Gambhir backed the calls made by the management, insisting that players must earn their long ropes in the XI.

“International cricket is about results, so whatever we feel is the best combination to give us that result, we play that combination and that playing XI. I’ve always been a big believer that everyone needs to earn their place and the right to play for India.”

Sources in the Indian board stated that selection committees have generally preferred to try the fringe players for such small tours. In the past, tours to Zimbabwe have seen many Indian players making their debut. Ajit Agarkar & Co could not have rested Shreyas Iyer as he took over as the captain only recently and are also inclined to give more opportunities to Tilak Varma, who remains the vice-captain.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir and Sanju Samson during a training session at the Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street, England. (BCCI/Creimas Photo)

With Samson rested, the Zimbabwe series will give more opportunities to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. With Samson dropped, the batting is again left-hander heavy with Shreyas being the lone right-hander amongst frontline batsmen unless Prabhsimran gets a game. Earning a recall to the squad is Rinku Singh, as in the absence of Hardik Pandya, India have been short on options for the finisher’s role in the UK trip.

It is understood that the reason to rest Samson along with Axar, Arshdeep was taken keeping their busy season they have had. The trio have been playing non-stop cricket for the last six months without a considerable break period. But resting Samson, who features only in one format raises eyebrows even as selectors insist that they have seen enough of his potential and what he can offer to the team.

“The selectors were keen to try young players and that is why you will see young pacers like Ashok Sharma, Yash Thakur and Mayank Yadav getting a chance. There is a decent pool of pacers which the selection committee wants to create. As far as Sanju’s case, he is rested like Axar and Arshdeep,” a source in the Indian board informed.

When the BCCI released the squad on Monday evening, there were no reasons for Samson’s omission. There was a note which mentioned Shivam Dube will replace the injured Nitish Kumar Reddy in the ODI team for the series against England.

Samson has never been synonymous with consistency. He is the player who once said that he would happily take a 30 that makes an impact in a game over a century in a losing cause. It’s this philosophy around which Samson has constructed his T20 game, as he prefers to make an impact by embracing a high-risk approach. This is what prompted India to bring him back into the XI midway through the T20 World Cup, when they had got off to an uncertain start.

After Samson’s arrival in Chennai for the must-win game against Zimbabwe, India appeared a changed outfit, becoming an unstoppable force. In the final three matches, Samson had scores of 97 not out, 89 and 89 – a run that would be hard for any Indian batsman to replicate in a World Cup. All three ended up as match- winning efforts. But in India’s first series since the T20 World Cup, against Ireland earlier last week Samson had scores of 5 and 0. He then began the series in England with 1 in Chester-Le-Street, before he made way for Sooryavanshi at Manchester. Dropping him from the XI itself was seen as a harsh call and two days later has been rested for Zimbabwe tour

In the past the selection committee had bypassed players whom they have seen first hand. Yashasvi Jaiswal was not included for India’s tour to Zimbabwe in 2024 as the selectors wanted to give a chance to Abhishek Sharma. The Punjab swashbuckling went on to score hundred and cemented his place in the side while Jaiswal still awaits for a run in the T20I set-up.