Gautam Gambhir says Sanju Samson has to earn his place: Cricket fans hit back, ‘What about you?’ | India vs England
In March, Sanju Samson was named Player of the Tournament at the 2026 T20 World Cup. In July, he did not find his place in
In March, Sanju Samson was named Player of the Tournament at the 2026 T20 World Cup. In July, he did not find his place in the team in the 2nd and 3rd T20 matches against England. Moreover, the wicketkeeper-batter has been dropped from the 15-member India squad for the upcoming 3-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. The series is going to start on 23 July. Prabhsimran Singh has replaced Sanju Samson in the wicketkeeper-batter slot. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has replaced Sanju as the opener with Abhishek Sharma in the England series, remains in the squad. Head coach Gautam Gambhir spoke about Sanju Samson during a press conference. He stressed that form would be the ultimate criterion for selection. “We are absolutely clear that what Sanju has done for India during the World Cup has been noted.
But, sometimes, you also have to look at a player’s current form. There is no hard-and-fast rule that someone must automatically play in every series,” Gambhir said. “More importantly, international cricket is about getting results. Whatever combination gives us the best chance of winning, we will go with that playing XI. I’ve always believed that everyone needs to earn their place,” he added. Social Media Reaction Gautam Gambhir’s arguments, however, did not go well with Indian cricket fans. “What did Harshit Rana do to earn the place, Mr Gambhir?” asked one of them. “Everyone needs to earn their place. But, what about you, GG? Do you think you should be fired? Certainly, you haven't performed!” wrote another fan. “Yes, 100% right! We are strong believers in earning the place. Yes, we thank you for your contribution (Team with Virat and Rohit in) to win the cup.
Team with Surya and Bumrah to win again. And, if you are not delivering now, you should earn that place, so kick yourself out,” came from another fan. One Team India fan posted, “The whole team’s confidence, mental space, strategy, and captaincy all seem messed up. The selection of the squad and even the combination have been terrible. So many left-handers and 3 spinners, bits and pieces all-rounders. The team is unrecognisable from the one that won the cup. It seems like a reactive social media selection team!!” “No one has been performing well since the start. But, only Sanju was benched,” commented another fan. Recent Form: Sanju vs Abhishek vs Vaibhav Sanju Samson was included in the 1st T20 against England. He scored a 7-ball 1 in that match. Even before that, in the Ireland series, India were whitewashed 0-2.
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