Gautam Gambhir Accused Of Double Standards: 'Samson Is Dropped But Tilak...'

Former India batter Subramaniam Badrinath has questioned what he called ‘double standards’ in India’s T20I selection, asking why Tilak Varma continues to enjoy the Gautam Gambhir-led team management’s backing despite prolonged struggles against spin, while Sanju Samson was dropped after just three low scores in England and subsequently omitted from the Zimbabwe series.

Samson was India’s Player of the Tournament at the 2026 T20 World Cup, and Tilak, too, put up brilliant performances. For both players, their weaknesses have been a bigger highlight since then: Samson has got out for eyebrow-raising low scores, looking like a shadow of himself against pace, while Tilak has been easily countered by the opposition’s spinners, without showing any

sign of progress.

The team management has tried to help Tilak by giving him a finishing role with limited exposure to spin. But cases like the third T20I against England, where he had to come in after the powerplay and looked completely out of sorts, have brought increased focus on why he was picked as the team vice-captain.

“Tilak Varma has been woeful against spin in T20Is this year,” Badrinath said on his YouTube channel. “He is averaging less than 23 and striking at just 91. But he remains in the side, which makes me want to ask, ‘Is there double standards in the Indian team?’ Samson is dropped after very few failures but Tilak has been consistently struggling against spin, yet, keeps getting picked.”

Badrinath also questioned whether replacing Samson with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was the right call, while describing the wicketkeeper-batter’s exclusion from the Zimbabwe squad as even more difficult to understand.

“Though Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is an unbelievable talent, whether he should have played at the cost of Sanju Samson is highly debatable. Even Samson not playing in the 11 and being given a break is acceptable. But leaving him off the squad itself is harsh and shocking.”

India trail the series 2-0 and will play the fourth T20I on Thursday.