ENG vs IND: Gautam Gambhir opens up on Sanju Samson's snub & potential return to T20Is

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi replaced Sanju Samson in ENG vs IND T20Is.

Indian Cricket Team opener Sanju Samson has had a roller-coaster ride since the beginning of this year. He flopped with his batting in the first T20I series against New Zealand in January, losing his wicket cheaply across five games.

As a result, he lost his place in the playing XI at the start of the T20 World Cup 2026. However, he got opportunities towards the end and made a mark with his performances, smacking half-centuries in the last three crucial games, including the semi-final and the final.

Samson was also awarded Player of the Tournament and justified his place in the T20I side as an opener. He later slammed two centuries for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.

The right-handed batsman has once again lost his form and failed to fire in the previous T20I series against Ireland and the ongoing campaign against England. Getting out for 5, 0 and 1 on the tours of Ireland and England, Samson lost his place in the side.

Due to his struggles, the Indian management gave a chance to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who made his debut in the second and third T20Is against England.

Moreover, Samson has also been overlooked from the T20I series against Zimbabwe later this month. However, his ouster has not changed India’s performance, as they have lost two consecutive matches against England.

Gautam Gambhir gives big statement on Sanju Samson

In ENG vs IND 3rd T20I, Shreyas Iyer & Co. faced their biggest-ever defeat by a margin of runs. India lost the match by 125 runs. In the post-match presentation, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir was asked about Samson’s snub and comeback in the playing XI in the upcoming games.

“The clarity that should have been given to Sanju Samson, he has got from me. And that conversation is between a head coach and a player. That contents of the conversation we will obviously not tell you about,” Gambhir said.

“As far as clarity goes, we are absolutely clear that Sanju… what he had done for India during the World Cup has been phenomenal, and sometimes you just have to look at the form as well of a certain player. And there is no hard and fast rule that he cannot make a comeback in this series,” he added after India’s defeat at Trent Bridge.

He also noted that every player has the right to earn his spot in the Indian Team.

“More importantly, ultimately international cricket is about results. Whatever we feel is the best combination to give us the results, we play that combination, we play that playing XI. That is what I’ve always been a big believer of: that everyone needs to earn their place. Everyone needs to earn the right to play for India,” concluded Gambhir.

Meanwhile, India and England will now clash in the 4th T20I on July 9. Since Vaibhav has also failed to make a mark in both previous games, the possibility of Samson making a comeback in the next encounter cannot be ruled out.

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