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Why Was Sanju Samson Dropped? Ajinkya Rahane Questions Zimbabwe T20I Squad Selection

Cricket Gully | July 7, 2026 6:39 PM CST

Ajinkya Rahane, the seasoned batter and captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), has stepped up to back Sanju Samson after the wicketkeeper-batter was surprisingly left out of India's squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe.

On Monday, July 6, the BCCI revealed a 15-member squad for the tour, and Samson was notably missing. Alongside him, Axar Patel and Arshdeep Singh also found themselves excluded from the lineup for the series, which kicks off on July 23 in Harare.

Samson's absence has become a hot topic in Indian cricket lately. The 31-year-old was dropped from the playing XI for the second T20I against England in Manchester after scoring just six runs over three innings. He was replaced by teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who kept his spot for the rest of the series.

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With Samson now also out of the Zimbabwe tour, many former cricketers and analysts have raised eyebrows at this decision. Rahane took to Instagram to share his thoughts, hoping that the team management had explained the reasoning behind this choice to the wicketkeeper-batter.

"Hope there has been some communication with @imsanjusamson. Find it odd that the hero of our recent T20 WC win has been left out of the T20 squad to Zimbabwe. Hope to see him back in the team soon," Rahane wrote.

Earlier this year, Samson played a vital role in India's triumphant T20 World Cup 2026campaign, amassing 321 runs in five innings with an impressive average of 80.25 and a striking strike rate of 199.37. He also notched up three half-centuries during the tournament and was named Player of the Tournament, significantly contributing to India securing their third T20 World Cup title.

Despite facing some challenges against Ireland and England recently, Samson's exclusion from the Zimbabwe squad has ignited a lively debate, with many questioning if the selectors acted too hastily after just a few underwhelming performances.