Former India cricketer R. Ashwin’s latest video on YouTube has gone viral, in which he mimics keeper-batter Sanju Samson, who was recently excluded from the Indian squad for the three-match T20I series in Zimbabwe.
The discussion, in which Ashwin played a desperate, rest-rejecting Samson and journalist Vimal Kumar played a selection in a fictitious roleplay, was internet gold.
Vimal (as selector): "You have done exceptionally well; we are so proud of you. But you also know when we started."
Ashwin (as Sanju): "I don't want any rest. If I want, I will bring my mother, father, and wife along with me to Zimbabwe. I want to play there. I have never been to Bulawayo. They are a proud cricketing nation. I saw in 1999, Zimbabwe beat India in the World Cup. I want to take revenge for that. Please take me there; I don't want to rest."
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Sanju Samson’s case has been a curious one. He was the Player of the Tournament in India's
T20 World Cup 2026 win with three fifties and 321 runs in 5 games to his name. His best scores included 97* against West Indies, 89 against England in the semi-final, and 89 against New Zealand in the final.
He then had a decent outing for CSK in his first season with them in IPL 2026, scoring 477 runs in 14 games, with two centuries and one fifty, at a strike rate of 165.62.
However, when India returned to T20I mode, Samson managed only 6 runs in the three T20Is he played—two against Ireland and one against England, which got rained out. This led to India bringing in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi into the XI while Samson warmed the bench.
And now, when the Indian squad for the three-T20I series in Zimbabwe was announced, Sanju Samson’s name was missing, as reports quoted BCCI officials as saying the Kerala star was rested and not dropped.
Speaking on the same topic, Ashwin didn't hold back while issuing a dire warning about how the Indian team’s dressing room's toxic mentality of survival is fostered by this brutal chopping and shifting.
"Who is next? After those two losses in Ireland and a loss of form, they have made Sanju Samson sit out. Now, we have lost two in England. So, who is next? This is really wrong. I really hope the Indian cricketers don't find themselves in an insecure spot. I previously spoke about Suryakumar Yadav (dropping him from the squad).
Players will go insular; they will start thinking about themselves more than the team. In T20 cricket, that is disastrous. If batters start thinking, 'If I don't score runs, I might be benched,' then they will start playing for their places. That is extremely dangerous,” Ashwin was quoted as saying by India Today.
Ashwin cautioned that the team's collective ethos collapses when a player realizes that the management will not shield them during a short downturn.
"Imagine this situation. Let's say Sanju Samson is given an opportunity again. He might start thinking for himself. And you can't even say that is wrong. I really hope they find a measure to this,” Ashwin added.
Ashwin also pointed out the asymmetry in treatment for different players by the BCCI selectors. He pointedly recalled the grand rhetoric used by head coach Gautam Gambhir just weeks ago regarding under-fire Test players.
"What was said when the team management spoke about giving a long rope to Sai Sudharsan in Tests? They said, 'You can't judge a player in four matches.' It has not even been a month since that was said. Amazing. But where has Sanju Samson fallen? Yes, you can't treat all players in the same way. But, at least, you can give him two more opportunities. I am hoping this insecurity doesn't spread through the team,” Ashwin said.
He also put the highlight on the absurdity of giving "rest" to an athlete who only plays a single format for his country, saying it’s just vocabulary used by selectors to justify omissions.
"What is the meaning of rest? It's not a written rule that opportunities need to be given on these tours. What does Sanju Samson play? He only plays T20Is, not Tests and ODIs. What's the point of giving him rest? He can rest after the tour of Zimbabwe. He has a very nice place in Trivandrum. Why will he rest? He is just playing T20s. Why will he want to take a rest? What else can I say? It's unfair. But it is what it is,” Ashwin said.
