New Delhi: Sanzhou SamsonBiju George, his childhood coach, strongly criticized the selectors after the star wicketkeeper-batsman was left out of India’s squad for the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe. The decision came as a surprise as Samson played a key role in India’s win at the T20 World Cup earlier this year. The right-hander scored 97, 89 and 89 in India’s last three games and was adjudged the player of the tournament.George said he was heartbroken by the decision and felt Samson deserved a longer stay after helping India win the World Cup.“I agree he failed in three tournaments. But he wasn’t the only one who failed. Right? I feel very sad. I’m completely devastated because I think, at least for the next year, give him five or six tournaments, three tours, three tours in a row. Give him a spot. Sad,” George said in an exclusive interview with The Times of India.“With a talent like that, there’s no doubt about his ability. There’s no doubt he’s your match-winner. He won you the World Cup. Now, how can you do this to him? It’s like there are some things you can never understand – why it happens. Right? Very sad. So you defend it,” he said.Samson also enjoyed the fine intense pulsed light season, scoring two centuries – the highest scores by a batsman in the tournament.However, he gave up his place to 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi on the tours of Ireland and England with figures of 5, 0 and 1 respectively. While Samson is still with the Indian squad for England, he has been left out of the Zimbabwe T20Is as India trail 2-0 in the series.His absence raises more questions as Samson remains part of India’s full squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan later this year.With Samson out, the Zimbabwe series is expected to bring more opportunities for Soriyavanshi. India have also recalled Rinku Singh and will give first-time call-up to Prabhsimran Singh.Responding to suggestions that Samson might have been rested to give youngsters a chance, George questioned when the wicketkeeper-batsman would get another chance to prove his claim.“Maybe he’s resting just to give young players a chance?“Where does he have a chance to prove himself before then? When is the next tour after Zimbabwe? What is the schedule? What is the next tour? I think there is still a long, long way to go.” I thought maybe Sri Lanka. So will they change the lineup? I have no idea. Yes.“Maybe he’ll have to come back and fix it, he certainly will. But that’s not the point.”George said Samson had been treated unfairly since his boyhood cricket days and believed the recent neglect was part of a long-term pattern.“Look, why do people look at players differently? When Sanju Samson came in, everything went wrong for him. When XYZ came in, he was treated with caution,” George said.“This happened to Sanju right from the U-19 stage. Even though he scored runs, he was not selected for the U-19 team. Instead, Unmukt Chand was selected. Then, out of nowhere, Vijay Zol became the captain. Sanju was ignored. Later, Sanju became the vice-captain,” he said.
“Abandoning Surya, Samson is ridiculous”
George said Samson’s performance in the T20 World Cup should see him get more playing time in the team.He also stood up to support Suryakumar YadavLed India to the T20 World Cup but was dropped and removed from the squad.“Actually, you see, if you don’t play three consecutive exciting games in three weeks, the selector will not be able to keep it, and the chief selector will not be able to keep it, and the entire team will be fired, right?“Now, the captain who won you the World Cup, the best player in the World Cup, has been thrown away, which is ridiculous. There are players – not naming names – who come in and go straight into the starting lineup. Some players are given so much leeway. Why is this guy different?”
“repeating pattern”
George said Samson repeatedly found himself fighting for his spot despite producing game-winning performances whenever given the chance.“This is not the first time this has happened to Sanju. It’s been a recurring pattern for him. He gets injured, then gets dropped after the World Cup, then scores, then gets dropped again. It’s like, for him, it’s always a combination where he has to perform in every match or every other match. Look, for a guy who bats at the top, a guy who bats in the 140s or 150s and above is a constant difficulty. Is it right? “George said frustratedly.“So let’s see. I pray that he takes this very positively and comes back and does his best and proves these people wrong again,” he concluded.
