India head coach Gautam Gambhir has opened up about the difficult decision to leave Sanju Samson out of the playing XI during the T20I series against England, revealing that the call left him unable to sleep.
Samson had played a major role in India’s T20 World Cup triumph earlier in the year and was named Player of the Tournament. However, after India lost the opening match of the five-game series in England in July, teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was handed his T20I debut in Manchester, with Samson making way.
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Gambhir said the decision was particularly difficult because of Samson’s contribution to India’s recent success. He revealed that he personally spoke to Samson about the situation and explained why the team had opted for Sooryavanshi.
According to Gambhir, Sooryavanshi was in strong form and India wanted a player who could provide runs and a platform at the top of the order. The coach said Samson understood the reasoning behind the decision and accepted it in good spirits.
The selection call was later reversed when India returned home for a three-match T20I series against Afghanistan. Samson came back into the side in place of Sooryavanshi and responded with back-to-back half-centuries as India completed a 3-0 series sweep.
Gambhir also stressed that selection decisions cannot be based solely on current form or outside pressure. He said social media and public opinion should not determine India’s playing XI, with the captain and coaching staff responsible for deciding the combination they believe can deliver results.
The India coach acknowledged that choosing between established players and emerging talent can create difficult conversations. He pointed to the form and contributions of players such as Samson and Abhishek Sharma, arguing that a few failures should not automatically lead to established members of the side being dropped.
Gambhir said India needed to maintain a sense of security within the dressing room while also managing competition for places. He argued that making a popular decision is easier than making what the team management believes is the appropriate selection.
The emergence of Sooryavanshi has nevertheless added another layer to India’s T20I selection equation. The teenager’s international debut in Manchester demonstrated the competition for places at the top of the order, while Samson’s return and subsequent performances strengthened his case for continuity.
Gambhir said India’s recent success was also a reason to avoid making drastic changes after isolated setbacks. He highlighted the team’s run of World Cup victories and argued that a poor series or a few unsuccessful matches should not immediately change perceptions of players or the team.
For Gambhir, maintaining continuity while creating opportunities for emerging players remains a key part of India’s selection approach. The Samson-Sooryavanshi episode illustrates the challenge of balancing recent form, past performances and team combination when deciding India’s T20I playing XI.
