With Shuman Gill And Suryakumar Yadav Off-Color, Is It Fair To Bench Sanju?

With Shuman Gill And Suryakumar Yadav Off-Color, Is It Fair To Bench Sanju Samson?

Sanju Samson's continued exclusion sparks intense debate as struggling Shubman Gill and out-of-form Suryakumar Yadav fail to justify their prolonged run in India's T20I squad.

Sanju Samson's exclusion from India's T20I setup in 2025 has become one of the biggest talking points in Indian cricket. His omission comes at a time when both Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav have endured extended lean patches, raising fresh questions on selection logic, player backing, and role clarity within the squad. Despite being one of India's most destructive T20I batters through 2024, Samson finds himself watching from the sidelines while two struggling stars continue to receive unwavering support from the team management. The debate has only intensified following India's inconsistent top-order performances in the South Africa series.

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Samson ended 2024 as one of the world's most efficient T20I batters, piling up 436 runs at a blistering strike rate above 180. His three centuries, including a match-winning unbeaten 109, made him a central figure heading into the new year. But the storyline shifted drastically in 2025. Instead of being backed as a frontline opener or number four, Samson was used as a floating option across positions. His returns dropped to 185 runs in 14 matches, and critics argue that no player could deliver consistency with such erratic role assignments. Even then, his flashes of brilliance, including a composed 56 and multiple starts, showed he remained one of India's most natural stroke-makers.

Shubman Gill's form slump has been one of the most concerning trends in 2025. Across 13 innings, he has failed to register a single half-century, producing repeated low scores despite being backed as vice-captain and first-choice opener. His dismissal for four in the opening T20I against South Africa only added to the scrutiny. Fans and analysts have begun questioning why Gill continues to be preferred at the top while Samson, once a proven match-winner, sits out.

Even the world's top-ranked T20I batter, Suryakumar Yadav, has endured a rocky year. Multiple single-digit scores and a dip in fluency have made his form another major concern. His captaincy status has earned him extended backing, but the numbers tell a story of prolonged inconsistency. With both Gill and Suryakumar misfiring, the optics of excluding a dynamic hitter like Samson have become even harder to justify.

As selection debates heated up, older social media posts by head coach Gautam Gambhir resurfaced. His past statements, in which he strongly supported Samson and even labelled him India's best wicketkeeper-batter, now appear to contradict the present selection calls. Fans are actively questioning the change in stance under his leadership.

While Samson awaits game time for India, he has been in sparkling touch in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy Elite 2025. Scores of 51, 43, 46, and a dominant unbeaten 73 show that his hitting ability remains intact. His supporters insist that Samson's game-time deprivation at the international level is a bigger problem than his actual form.

Source: ZeeNews
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