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Former Indian all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin has launched a scathing attack on the national selectors and head coach Gautam Gambhir after Sanju Samson was dropped from the T20 squad for the upcoming three-match T20 series in Zimbabwe.
The wicketkeeper-batsman first lost his place in India’s playing XI after three low scores during the ongoing five-match T20 series in England and has now also missed out on selection for the three-match series against Zimbabwe later this month.
This sparked a new debate among fans and experts whether Samson has actually been dropped or simply rested. Meanwhile, Abhishek Nair weighed in on the Sanju Samson vs Tilak Verma debate after England’s defeat.
Ravichandran Ashwin raised questions on Sanju Samson being dropped from India’s T20 team.
There is strong talk that Sanju Samson has been dropped from India’s T20 squad due to his poor form with the bat, but Ravichandran Ashwin feels the bigger issue is whether all the players are getting the same level of support from the team management.
The former off-spinner cited the example of young batsman Sai Sudarshan, who was given support despite not making an immediate impact in Test cricket. He believed that if a player was given enough time to settle, others should also get a fair opportunity before being tested.
Ravichandran Ashwin told Vimal Kumar on his YouTube channel: “What did they say to give Sai Sudarshan long innings in a Test match? They said it is wrong to judge a player in four innings. So, they wanted to give Sai Sudarshan long innings. Amazing. Not even a month has passed. Where has Sanju Samson fallen?”
Ravichandran Ashwin warns against different rules for different players
Ashwin admitted that every player may not get exactly the same number of matches, but there should be some balance in the way players are treated. The former Indian all-rounder warned that different standards for different players could create uncertainty inside the dressing room.
He further added, “Look, you can’t treat every player equally. But at least you gave four chances to Sai. You can give three chances or two chances to Sanju. Sometimes it will change. It won’t always be the same. But there has to be some kind of balance. If different players are treated differently, it can lead to insecurity within the team. And I am hoping that this insecurity doesn’t really spread into the team.”
Ashwin is also cooking Gautam Gambhir and BCCI:
He said that he wanted to give Sai Sudarshan a long innings in Test cricket and did not want to evaluate him on the basis of just 3-4 innings. So what has Sanju Samson done wrong?
At least be fair to everyone and apply the same standards to everyone… pic.twitter.com/yMe81fT3rA
– Tejash (@LoyleRohitFan) July 8, 2026
Gautam Gambhir gave clarification to Sanju Samson after the defeat on Zimbabwe tour
Well, Samson’s recent performances have certainly not been impressive. However, senior BCCI officials have made it clear that Samson has not been left out of India’s long-term plans. Since the Zimbabwe tour is being considered as an opportunity to test the bench strength of the team, the selectors decided to hand Prabhsimran Singh a maiden call-up after his impressive IPL 2026 campaign.
The team management wants to investigate another wicketkeeping option before the big tournaments arrive. Reports also say that Gautam Gambhir has already spoken to Samson and explained why he was not selected for the Zimbabwe tour and that he has not lost confidence in him.
The Kerala star is still considered a key part of India’s white-ball plans and is expected to travel with the team to Japan for the Asian Games 2026.
