Gambhir Reveals Sleepless Night Over Samson’s T20I Axing

Head coach Gautam Gambhir has spoken candidly about one of the toughest selection calls of his tenure — dropping Sanju Samson to make way for teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The decision came during India’s tour of the UK, shortly after the team’s back-to-back T20 World Cup triumph, and Gambhir admitted it cost him sleep after a difficult conversation with Samson, who had just been named Player of the Tournament at the World Cup.

A Bold Call Amid Transition

The swap arrived at an already turbulent time for Indian cricket. Shreyas Iyer’s first assignment as T20I captain began with a series defeat to Ireland, and Samson struggled to find rhythm heading into the England leg. With Sooryavanshi coming off a record-breaking IPL 2026 season, the team management decided to hand the 15-year-old his international debut, easing Samson out of the XI in the process.

Results Didn’t Favour the Gamble

The switch, however, failed to change India’s fortunes, as the side continued to falter in England. Sooryavanshi’s returns of 14, 13 and 15 offered glimpses of promise but little consistency, while Samson’s own form dipped further on the sidelines before he returned with scores of 5, 0 and 27. Samson later bounced back strongly during the home series against Afghanistan, notching two consecutive half-centuries, while Sooryavanshi has since found himself out of the XI. With the Asian Games 2026 squad selection approaching under new head coach VVS Laxman, questions remain over which of the two will get the nod.