Former players slam Samson’s T20I omission, questions Gill's inclusion as vice-captain

Former India batter Subramaniam Badrinath delivered an emotional on-air reaction, expressing sympathy for Sanju Samson after the wicketkeeper-batter was once again left out of India’s T20I playing XI. Speaking during the live broadcast, the former CSK player questioned the Gautam Gambhir-led team management for repeatedly choosing Shubman Gill ahead of Samson as an opener in the shortest format.

Badrinath’s comments came shortly after Gill was dismissed for a duck in the second T20I of the five-match series against South Africa. The opener has now registered three single-digit scores in his last six T20I outings. In the first match in Cuttack, he had fallen for just four off two balls.

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India’s insistence on persisting with Gill at the top despite his modest returns has sparked widespread debate. Gill was appointed T20I vice-captain upon his return to the squad after nearly a year, prompting the team to break the successful opening combination of Samson and Abhishek Sharma. Samson was first pushed into an unfamiliar middle-order role before being dropped altogether during the Australia series in October.

“Sanju Samson has three T20 hundreds. In this format, that’s a huge achievement. What more can a player do? It’s painful to watch someone with such performances sit on the bench,” said Badrinath.

“He’s been made vice-captain, but only those who are automatic picks in the XI should hold those roles. With these numbers, how does he become vice-captain? India have plenty of talent in T20 cricket,” he added.

Former India captain and ex-chief selector Kris Srikkanth echoed Badrinath’s frustration, pointing out the stark difference in the two players’ statistics and accusing the management of lacking clarity.