‘Eventual loser will be Team India’: Ashwin on Samson’s omission from ZIM series

3 min readJul 6, 2026 10:47 PM IST

Sanju Samson in action during T20 World Cup 2026 final vs New Zealand in Ahmedabad. (PHOTO: AP)

Ravichandran Ashwin said that the omission of Sanju Samson from the Indian squad for the upcoming Zimbabwe T20I series was a bit harsh and would end up having adverse effect on the other players of the squad. Ashwin also added that he has no qualms about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s inclusion but felt that in the hurry to promote the young prodigy, Samson has been left out.

“Sanju played a brilliant knock in the T20 World Cup. After that, he smashed it for CSK in the IPL this year. I haven’t seen him this consistent before. He was in great phase so I felt this was a bit harsh. I have been saying this for a long time. It’s not about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. I don’t know when we will understand this. I am a big fan of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. He will play and no one can stop him. What’s the hurry?,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

“Two players who are doing well in the team ethos. If we show a lack of confidence like that, all the other players in the team will think that they are next. If they know they are the next, why will they play at a higher strike rate? They will knock them out. If they have to score 50 in 25 balls, they will score in 32 balls. The eventual loser will be Team India,” he added.

Samson played a stellar role in India’s run to the 2026 T20 World Cup title. He then blew hot and cold for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL before managing scores of 5 and a duck in India’s humiliating 2-0 defeat to Ireland. Samson then scored just one run in India’s first T20I against England, which was eventually washed off.

The 31-year-old was then replaced at the top of the order by Sooryavanshi in the second T20I, with the latter thus becoming the youngest to ever make his debut for India. Samson had been playing as a pure batter in the ongoing tours of Ireland and England, with Kishan keeping wickets. Apart from Samson, Axar Patel, Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh are other players who are part of the Indian squad and haven’t been named for the tour of Zimbabwe.