3 reasons why Sanju Samson's India snub makes sense

Sanju Samson has experienced the extreme highs and lows of cricket this year. From winning the Player of the Tournament award in the T20 World Cup in March, the wicketkeeper-batter has now been left out of the side for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe later this month.

He was replaced by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the second T20I against England on July 4. This was after he had registered scores of 5, 0, and 1 in the two T20Is in Ireland and the first one in England. However, before these three dismal scores, Samson had smashed 97* in a virtual quarter-final against the West Indies, 89 in the semi-final against England, and 89 in the final against New Zealand in the T20 World Cup.

According to reports, sources close to the BCCI have mentioned that Samson has been rested. However, for a player who plays only one format in international cricket, being rested seems for a T20I series seems odd, especially because India are not playing as many T20Is as they did last year.

Did India make the right decision by snubbing Samson? Let's take a closer look.

Sanju Samson has time and again showed that when he is on song, there are not many better batters than him in white-ball cricket. However, consistency is something that has deserted him at various stages of his career. The right-handed batter blew hot and cold during IPL 2026, where he played for his new franchise, Chennai Super Kings. Apart from the two centuries he scored, there were not too many innings to write home about.

Samson had lost his place in the playing XI heading into the World Cup after a forgettable series against New Zealand. However, he found form during the marquee event. The inconsistency has been consistent with Samson. He would like to use the break he is getting to work on the basics as well as the mental side of the game.