Sanju Samson’s return to the Indian T20I setup has been swift and emphatic. Dropped after a difficult run on the UK and Ireland tour despite winning the Player of the Tournament award at the T20 World Cup earlier this year, Samson came back into the XI for the Afghanistan series and responded with 117 runs across three matches, including two fifties, at a strike rate of 180. Head coach Gautam Gambhir, speaking after the third T20I, was candid about the weight of the decision to leave him out in the first place.
“Probably the toughest decision I’ve taken in my coaching tenure is obviously leaving him out in that England series,” Gambhir said. “Because obviously, the way he’s performed before that. But again, sometimes you go with players’ form as well.”
Why Sanju Samson’s Return Was Always Part of the Plan
Gautam Gambhir was clear that the recall was not reactive but deliberate, rooted in a broader philosophy of backing the combination that won India the World Cup. “We were always very clear. From my point of view, I was very clear that we want to go back to the combination that we had during the World Cup. Because those guys, after three or four failures, do not become bad players.”
He expanded on that thinking with conviction, pointing to the team’s unbeaten run across two World Cup cycles as evidence that short-term struggles should not define long-term selections. “A team that has gone unbeaten from one World Cup to the other World Cup and has won the World Cup, I’m sure it’s a gun team. Suddenly, it doesn’t become a bad team after one or two series. And these guys do not become bad players after two or three failures.”
Gambhir also pushed back against the tendency to evaluate players purely on scorecard numbers, insisting that impact remains the only currency that matters in his dressing room. “T20 cricket is not about runs or wickets. It’s about how much impact can you create. Someone doesn’t become a player of the tournament in a World Cup without having talent. So, he’s done enough.”
Sanju Samson’s return came at the cost of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s place in the side, and Gambhir addressed that directly, framing the 15-year-old’s omission as a lesson in patience rather than a judgement on his ability. “Whenever he gets that run, he will get a longer run as well. Whether you’re a 15-year-old or a 30-year-old, when you have to wait for your opportunity, you have to wait for your opportunity.”
The broader context of the evening was Abhishek Sharma’s record-breaking 30-ball century, the first time India had reached a hundred in the powerplay under Gambhir’s tenure. The coach was visibly energised by that achievement, pointing to it as proof that the team’s aggressive philosophy was producing results. “That is what the message is going to be in the future as well. We still haven’t reached 300 as an innings score. So that’s probably the next target.”
For Sanju Samson, the numbers speak for themselves. The conversation around his place in this team, at least for now, appears to be over.
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