India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson’s exclusion from the T20I squad for the Zimbabwe series has drawn sharp criticism from his childhood coach Biju George, who questioned the selectors’ decision and accused them of treating the World Cup hero unfairly.
Samson was dropped from India’s playing XI during the England T20I series after three low scores and was subsequently omitted from the squad for the Zimbabwe tour. While a BCCI source reportedly stated that the decision was taken to provide opportunities to younger players, George dismissed the reasoning, arguing that Samson was unfairly singled out.
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Speaking to the Times of India, George pointed out that several players underperformed during the recent series and questioned why only Samson was made to pay the price. He said there was no doubt about the Kerala batter’s ability, describing him as a proven match-winner who had played a crucial role in India’s T20 World Cup triumph.
“I agree he failed in three matches, but he was not the only one who failed. There is no question about his calibre. He won you the World Cup, so how can you do this to him?” George said.
Samson’s T20I career has seen contrasting phases this year. After managing only 46 runs in five matches against New Zealand, he bounced back spectacularly during the T20 World Cup, scoring unbeaten 97, 89 and 89 in the knockout stages to guide India to the title. His performances earned him the Player of the Tournament award.
He also enjoyed an impressive IPL 2026 season, scoring 477 runs in 14 matches. However, his form dipped afterwards, with scores of 0 and 5 against Ireland and just 1 against England before losing his place in the side.
George further claimed that India’s World Cup success had secured the futures of both the selectors and team management. He argued that without Samson’s match-winning performances in the knockout stages, major changes would likely have followed.
“Had Sanju not played those three brilliant innings, neither the selectors nor the chief selector would have retained their jobs. The captain who won you the World Cup and the Player of the Tournament have now been dropped. It is a ridiculous decision,” George added.
