Top News

Kris Srikkanth, the ex-India captain, rubbished the way Sanju Samson was overlooked for the T20I squad for the Zimbabwe series, as he believed that he was very much deserving of a lot more game time in India after his glorious show in the 2026 T20WC.

On his YouTube channel, Srikkanth voiced his dissatisfaction with the selectors' decision and even accused them of discrimination in the way chances are given to the players.

Samson's performance was disappointing in the Ireland series, where he scored just five runs. He was dropped after the first T20I against England and then came back for the 5th game, scoring 27 runs. However, he was not named in the squad for the Zimbabwe series.

He said, in the case of Samson, we have similar standards when compared with Abhishek Sharma:

Samson was the MVP (winner) of the World Cup. Then why doesn't he get the opportunities, and he has to give such opportunities to Abhishek? It is a very relevant question. Abhishek has been getting such opportunities for a long time; then why not Samson? Why is it happening with one and not with the other?

The ex-India skipper also gave some tips to new captain Samson on the way he can play his innings:

He further added :

"I just hope he comes good. He needs to find a different way to score runs, or the alternative is that he should try to settle down for a few balls. He is one player who can always come back. You spend some time at a 100-strike-rate and then take it on to 200 rather than wasting it away."

Srikkanth's words made the headlines again and have thrown forth the question about the selection process and if we are bowling everyone for enough of a longer period of time to really have a choice.

Also Read | Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Under Spotlight as Indian Head Coach Issues Important Warning

Samson was important to India's triumph in the 2026 T20 World Cup. He contributed three match-winning innings in the tournament and won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

His unbeaten 97 against the West Indies helped India register an important win in the Super Eight stages. He then scored a magnificent 89 against England in the semi-final and then another 89 off 46 balls against New Zealand in the final. India scored 255 runs in the final and won by 96 runs to become the champions.

Looking at those performances, it is indeed shocking that Samson has not found a place in the Zimbabwe T20I squad. Though the selectors have persisted with the younger candidates, Srikkanth feels Samson deserves a more extended period in the side.

As India still seeks to build before successive ICC tournaments, the discussion about Samson's slot in the T20I team will surely keep going. Samson will hope to grab the limited chances to re-enter the XI and prove his worth.