India wicketkeeper batter Sanju Samson's childhood coach Biju George opened up on his omission from his squad for the upcoming three match T20I series against Zimbabwe.
The decision has surprised many, especially because Samson played a key role in India’s T20 World Cup-winning campaign earlier this year. The Kerala batter finished as the Player of the Tournament after producing three match-winning knocks of 97 not out, 89 and 89 in India’s final three matches.
Samson deserved a longer run
George said he was deeply hurt by the selectors’ decision and believed Samson deserved a longer run in the team after helping India lift the World Cup.
“I agree he failed in three matches. But he was not the only one who failed. Right? I feel really sad. I’m totally broken because I thought that, at least for the next year, give him five or six matches, three tours, three continuous tours. Give him a slot. Sad,” George told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.
“With this talent, there is no question about his calibre. There is no question that he was your match-winner. He won you the World Cup. Now, how can you do this to him? It is like certain things you can never understand, why they happen. Right? Very sad. So you defend it,” he said.
Samson also enjoyed an impressive IPL season, where he scored two centuries, the joint-most by any batter in the tournament.
However, a poor run in the recent T20I series against Ireland and England, where he managed scores of 5, 0 and 1, saw him lose his place in the squad. The selectors instead backed 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the Zimbabwe tour.
Although Samson remains with the Indian squad in England, he has not been picked for the Zimbabwe series.
His omission has raised further questions because he continues to be part of India’s full-strength squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan later this year.
With Samson missing, the Zimbabwe series is likely to give Sooryavanshi more opportunities at the top. India have also recalled Rinku Singh and handed a maiden T20I call-up to Prabhsimran Singh.
George also dismissed suggestions that Samson had simply been rested to allow younger players a chance.
“He may be rested just to give opportunities to young players?
“Where does he have a chance to prove himself before that? When is the next tour after Zimbabwe? What is the calendar? What is the next tour? I think it’s a long, long way away. I think Sri Lanka, maybe. So will they change the squad waiting for that? I don’t know. Yeah.
“Probably he’ll have to come back and work it out, which he certainly will. But that’s besides the point.”
The veteran coach believes Samson has faced unfair treatment throughout his cricket career and said the latest omission is another example of the same pattern.
“See, why do people look at players differently? When Sanju Samson comes in, everything goes wrong for him. When XYZ comes in, he’s treated with kid gloves,” George said.
“This has happened to Sanju right from the Under-19 stage. Even when he was scoring runs, he was not picked for the Under-19 side. Instead, Unmukt Chand was picked. Then, from nowhere, Vijay Zol became captain. Sanju was ignored. Later, Sanju became vice-captain,” he said.
‘Dropping Surya, Samson Ridiculous’
George also questioned the decision to drop Samson after his World Cup heroics. He extended his support to Suryakumar Yadav, who captained India to the T20 World Cup title but was later removed as captain and left out of the squad.
“Actually, if you look at it, had Sanju not played those three consecutive brilliant innings, neither the selector would have retained his job, nor would the chief selector. The entire team would have been sacked. Right?
“Now, the guy, the captain who won you the World Cup, the player who was the Man of the Tournament, have been dropped, which is ridiculous. And there are certain players—not naming anybody—who come in and straight away slot into the playing XI. There are certain players who are given such a big leeway. Why not the same for this person?”
George said Samson has repeatedly had to fight for his place despite delivering whenever he has been given opportunities.
“This is not the first time it has happened to Sanju. This is a recurring pattern with him. He gets an injury, then gets dropped after the World Cup, then scores runs and gets dropped again. It’s like, for him, it is always a combination where he has to perform in every single match or every other match. See, for somebody batting at the top, somebody who strikes at 140 or 150-plus, it’s very difficult to maintain that consistently. Right?,” a dejected George said.
“So let’s see. I pray that he takes it very positively, comes back, gives his best, and again proves these people wrong,” he signed off.