Former India captain Chris Srikkanth has questioned the team management over the different treatment of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma in T20 cricket. The cricketer turned commentator said that Sanju was dropped after three bad innings, while Abhishek has been getting continuous chances.
Abhishek failed again in the second T20I against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday, July 25. This left-handed batsman was successful in scoring eight runs in eight balls. After scoring one for eight in the opening match of the series. However, India won by 90 runs with a game to spare to clinch the three-match series.
Why is Abhishek Sharma getting the long rope? – Chris Srikkanth raised questions on team management
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Kris Srikkanth questioned the selection policy of the team management. He told that Sanju Samson was the Player of the Tournament in the 2026 T20 World Cup, but he lost his place after some poor innings.
“Since the World Cup, his (Abhishek’s) international track record has not been very good except for a few innings. Samson was the MVP of the World Cup. Why doesn’t he get a chance, and Abhishek gets chances like this? It’s a very legitimate question. Abhishek is getting a long rope; then why not Samson? Why is this happening with one player and not the other?” Srikanth said.
Abhishek Sharma scored 141 runs in eight matches at an average of 17.62 during the 2026 T20 World Cup, with 52 of the runs coming in the final. His struggles continued in England, where he scored 131 runs at an average of 26.20 in five T20 matches.
I am worried for Abhishek Sharma – Kris Srikkanth
Kris Srikkanth also said that he is worried about the form of Abhishek Sharma. He advised the left-handed opening batsman to spend more time at the crease before playing aggressive shots.
He said, “I am worried for Abhishek Sharma. I don’t know what is happening with him all of a sudden. I hope he does well. He has to find another way to score runs. Or the other way is maybe to calm down for a few balls. He is a guy who can always create. You play at 100 strike rate for some time and then instead of bowling it down, take it to 200.”
Abhishek’s dismissal in the second T20I against Zimbabwe was the fifth consecutive innings in which he failed to score 20 or more. In both the matches of the current series, he has lost his wicket inside the powerplay.
Sanju Samson’s limited prospects raise questions
Sanju Samson was rested from the ongoing T20 series against Zimbabwe after disappointing tours of Ireland and England. India struggled during that tour, losing six of their seven white-ball matches, while one game ended with no result due to rain.
During the five-match T20 series against England, Sanju was dropped after scoring one run in the opening match. The team management brought in Vaibhav Suryavanshi, but the youngster managed to score three low scores before making way for Sanju again.
Sanju returned in the fifth and final T20I and scored a quickfire 27 runs in 14 balls before being dismissed by Sam Curran. Despite his excellent performances in the 2026 T20 World Cup, the wicketkeeper-batsman has continued to move in and out of India’s T20I setup.