Samson's snub has become one of the major talking points after India's listless show in the third T20I.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Tuesday (July 7) addressed the growing debate over Sanju Samson's absence from the T20I playing XI, insisting the T20 World Cup 2026 hero remains in the team's scheme of things despite being benched in the ongoing series against England.
Samson's snub has become one of the major talking points after India succumbed to a crushing 125-run defeat against England in the third T20I at Trent Bridge.
The wicketkeeper-batter made way for teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the starting XI for the second T20I against England at Old Trafford, where India suffered a four-wicket loss. He did not feature in the third match and has also been left out of the squad for the upcoming Zimbabwe tour.
Amid the outrage, Gambhir confirmed he has been given absolute clarity to Samson regarding his omission, emphasizing that their discussion will remain strictly confidential.
"The clarity that should have been given to Sanju Samson, he has got from me. And that conversation is between a head coach and a player. That contents of the conversation we will obviously not tell you about," Gambhir told reporters after the third T20I in Nottingham.
Gambhir defended the team's combination by stating that international cricket relies heavily on current form and immediate results. However, he reiterated that Samson's past phenomenal contributions are not forgotten and did not rule out a potential comeback later in the five-match series.
"As far as clarity goes, we are absolutely clear that Sanju… what he had done for India during the World Cup has been phenomenal, and sometimes you just have to look at the form as well of a certain player. And there is no hard and fast rule that he cannot make a comeback in this series," the coach said.
"And more importantly, ultimately international cricket is about results. Whatever we feel is the best combination to give us the results, we play that combination, we play that playing XI. That is what I've always been a big believer of: that everyone needs to earn their place. Everyone needs to earn the right to play for India," he further remarked.
Coming to the third T20I, the Men in Blue crumbled entirely and were bundled out for a meager 76 runs in just 11.4 overs while chasing an imposing target of 202. This stands as India's heaviest run-margin loss in T20I history.
The Nottingham debacle also marked the first instance of India failing to win any of their last five T20I encounters. The reigning T20 world champions trail 0-2 in the five-T20I series against England and face a must-win situation in the next T20I at Bristol on Thursday (July 9) to keep the series alive.