Gautam Gambhir says Sanju Samson has 'clarity' over India T20I exclusion

NOTTINGHAM: Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir has insisted that Sanju Samson has been given complete clarity regarding his omission from India's playing XI and the squad for the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe.

Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament during India's victorious T20 World Cup campaign in March after scoring an unbeaten 97, 89 and 89 in his final three innings, has endured a difficult run of form since.

Scores of 5, 0 and 1 during the tours of Ireland and England resulted in him losing his place to 15-year-old prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.

Although Samson remains with the squad in England, where India trail the T20I series 2-0, he has been left out of the squad for the three-match T20I series in Zimbabwe later this month.

Speaking after the third T20I at Trent Bridge, Gambhir said the wicketkeeper-batter had already received the explanation he needed.

"The clarity that should have been given to Sanju Samson, he has got from me. That conversation is between a head coach and a player, and obviously I won't reveal the contents of that discussion.

"As far as clarity goes, we are absolutely clear. What Sanju did for India during the World Cup was phenomenal, but sometimes you also have to look at a player's form. There is no hard and fast rule that he cannot make a comeback in this series.

"More importantly, international cricket is ultimately about results. Whatever we feel is the best combination to deliver those results is the combination we will play. I've always believed that everyone needs to earn their place and earn the right to play for India."

India's selectors and team management have come under increasing scrutiny after leaving out both captain Suryakumar Yadav and Player of the Tournament Samson from the World Cup-winning side.

The team have also lost all four of their completed matches since lifting the trophy, including a 2-0 series defeat to Ireland — the first time India have lost an international series to the Irish side.

Gambhir acknowledged that India's recent struggles reflected the challenges of rebuilding a squad, while stressing that adapting to conditions remained a key area for improvement.

"Conditions matter, but if you look at this T20 side, there have been a lot of changes. When you reset a team, performances like this can happen. There are significant changes from the XI that played the T20 World Cup final. There is a new captain, a different opening batter, and players like Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are not part of the side.

"When you go through that reset, it takes time. A 15-year-old is opening the batting, Prince Yadav is playing only his second T20I, and Harshit Rana is returning from injury. We all focus on results, and rightly so, but we also have to be practical. Players need time to develop, especially against a quality side like England. After a reset, these things don't happen overnight."

The former India opener also highlighted the importance of improving game awareness and adapting to match situations.

"It is important to assess the conditions, but it is equally important to read the game. Even small things, such as the breeze or the difference in boundary dimensions, can have a huge impact in T20 cricket.

"Sometimes, when an entire batting line-up plays a high-risk, high-reward game, these things happen. The experienced middle-order batters need to adapt and play according to the situation.

"We did that during the World Cup. Our top three played aggressively, but our numbers four and five were still able to build and anchor the innings when required. That is something we lacked today."