The return of star batsman Shubman Gill as vice-captain of India’s T20I team for the forthcoming Asia Cup has made it hard for Sanju Samson to stay in the starting XI. It looked like the initial partnership between Samson and Abhishek Sharma was going to last, but suddenly it doesn’t seem so stable. It’s very improbable that Gill would be benched as vice-captain.
Samson is in a situation that many people have been in before. He has had a hard time keeping his spot on the Indian team, even though he made his international debut ten years ago. He has had a lot of success in the IPL, but it hasn’t always translated to the international level, so his place is always in question. Gill is back to open with Abhishek Sharma, so it’s not apparent what Samson’s position on the squad is, assuming he has one.
This news is shocking, especially after Samson’s great run in 2024. The wicketkeeper-batsman hit three T20I centuries for India, two of which were back-to-back. He also had better numbers as an opener than as a middle-order batsman. He scored 522 runs in 17 innings at the top of the order, which is very different from the 339 runs he scored in 21 innings in the middle order.
Samson’s latest confession on Ravichandran Ashwin’s YouTube channel, where he talked to India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir, adds to the confusion. Samson says that Gambhir told him he wouldn’t be dropped, even if he scored 21 ducks in a row.
Devang Gandhi, a former BCCI selector, gave some information about the scenario. Gandhi said that while he recognized Samson’s skill, he also pointed out that he wasn’t consistent, even in the IPL. He also talked about how Samson had “obvious issues with him playing the heavy ball,” referring to how hard it was for him to deal with England’s fast bowlers earlier this year.
“You can’t ignore how talented Samson is.” But he is almost 31 years old. Gandhi told The Times of India, “If he couldn’t seal his place, it’s because he could never be consistent.”
Gandhi did say, though, that the door is not completely closed for Samson. He can still have a long T20I career if he can be flexible and do well when he gets the chance. But the question is still there: what else does Samson need to accomplish to indicate he is “doing well” in 2024?
The new choice suggests that the team management may have lost faith in Samson after he played poorly against England. For his future with the Indian squad, it will be very important for him to be able to change his role in the batting order or play better against fast bowlers. Even if he is on the team, it is still unclear if he will be in the starting XI.