Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has questioned Sanju Samson’s omission from the second T20I against England, wondering whether ‘social media narratives’ are beginning to influence India’s selection
decisions. Ashwin believes that even head coach Gautam Gambhir knows Samson was treated unfairly.
Samson was omitted from the playing 11 in Manchester after three back-to-back single-digit scores, with teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi making his much-anticipated international debut. India went on to lose the match by four wickets, with Sooryavanshi scoring only 14.
Speaking on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin admitted he was surprised by how quickly Samson lost his place despite being the Player of the Tournament in India’s T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year.
“Right now, I’m concerned. I’m worried because Sanju Samson has been dropped from the team so quickly. What will Sanju be thinking now? How motivated will he be when he goes to practice in the nets?” Ashwin said.
The veteran spinner suggested India could now consider moving Samson to No. 3, especially with three left-handers occupying the top order.
“At the moment, you already have three left-handers in the top order: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ishan Kishan. Now, they will consider Sanju for No. 3, I’m telling you. Everyone knows, including the coaching staff and Gautam Gambhir, that this hasn’t been fair to Sanju. So now they’ll have to manage the situation somehow.”
Ashwin acknowledged that difficult selection calls are inevitable but argued that players who have consistently delivered should be afforded greater patience. He said Samson had given the team enough ‘return on investment’ to get the backing for a few more games.
Social media playing a role?
Ashwin also questioned whether external narratives were beginning to influence India’s selection decisions. A section of fans had been campaigning for Sooryavanshi’s selection because of his record-breaking success in the IPL, and his entry into the team was widely celebrated.
“I’m concerned about one thing. Are social media narratives and all the outside noise finding their way into the team? Is that influencing the decision-making? I’ve been watching cricket for a long time and have seen many leaders in the Indian team. They never allowed outside noise to enter the dressing room, and that’s exactly how it should be,” he said.
England lead the five-match series 1-0, with the third T20I on Tuesday (July 7).
