India head coach Gautam Gambhir has revealed that dropping Sanju Samson to make room for teenage batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the T20I series in England was the toughest selection call of his coaching career.
Gambhir said the decision kept him awake at night. He also spoke directly to Samson about the call and explained why the team management decided to make the change.
Samson had been the Player of the Tournament when India won the T20 World Cup earlier this year. However, after India’s defeat in the opening T20I against England in July, he was left out of the team for the remaining matches of the series.
Sooryavanshi replaced him and made his T20I debut in Manchester.
Samson later returned to the playing XI during India’s 3-0 T20I series win over Afghanistan. He made the most of the opportunity, scoring consecutive half-centuries.
Gambhir On Giving Young Players Their Chance
Gambhir also explained that talented youngsters cannot expect to walk straight into India’s playing XI, even when they are in good form.
He said experienced players who have performed consistently over a long period also deserve patience and backing.
Gambhir Praises Shreyas Iyer’s Leadership Quality
Gambhir also had words of praise for T20I captain Shreyas Iyer, particularly highlighting his selfless approach as a leader.
The two worked together at Kolkata Knight Riders during their successful IPL 2024 campaign, with Gambhir serving as mentor and Iyer leading the team.
Gambhir recalled how Iyer was willing to move away from his usual No. 4 position if it helped the team.
Gambhir Calls For Patience With T20I Team
Gambhir also stressed the need to give India’s T20I team enough time to build consistency instead of making major changes after a few poor performances.
He pointed to India’s recent success and said a short run of bad results should not erase what the team has achieved over the last two years.