NEW DELHI: Sanju SamsonBiju George’s childhood coach strongly criticized the selectors after the star wicketkeeper-batter 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 T20 World Cup win earlier this year. The right-hander was named the Player of the Tournament after scoring 97 not out, 89 and 89 in India’s last three matches.George said he was saddened by the decision and felt Samson deserved a longer run after helping India win the World Cup.“I agree that he failed in three games. But he’s not the only one who failed. Right? I’m very sad. I’m totally broken because I thought that, at least for the next year, he’ll be given five or six games, three tours, three continuous tours. Give him a slot. Sad,” George told TimesofIndia.com in an exclusive interview.“With this talent, there is no question about his caliber. There is no question that he is your game-winner. He won you the World Cup. Now, how can you do this to him? It’s like some things that you never understand—why it happens. Right? It’s very sad. So you defend it,” he said.Samson also enjoyed a fine IPL: season, scored two centuries – the most by a batter in the tournament.However, scores of 5, 0 and 1 in the tours of Ireland and England saw him lose his place to 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. While Samson remained in the Indian squad in England, where India trailed the series 2-0, he was absent from the Zimbabwe T20Is.His omission raises many questions as Samson is still part of India’s full-strength squad for the 2026 Asian Games in Japan later this year.With Samson unavailable, the Zimbabwe series is expected to provide more opportunities to Sooryavanshi. India also remembered Rinku Singh and called the girl to Prabhsimran Singh.Responding to suggestions that Samson might have been rested to give youngsters a chance, George asked when the wicketkeeper-batter would get another chance to stake his claim.“Can he be rested just to give the young players an opportunity?“Where does he have a chance to prove himself before that? When is the next tour after Zimbabwe? What’s the calendar? What’s the next tour? I think it’s a long, long way off. I think Sri Lanka, maybe. So they will change the squad waiting for that? I don’t know. Yes.“Maybe he should go back and do it, which he certainly will. But that’s beside the point.”George said Samson has been treated unfairly since his junior cricket days and believes the latest dismissal is part of a long-standing pattern.“Look, why do people look at players differently? When Sanju Samson came, everything was bad for him. When XYZ comes in, he is treated with kid gloves,” George said.“It happened to Sanju right from the Under-19 stage. Even when he was scoring runs, he was not picked for the Under-19 side. Instead, Unmukt Chand was picked. Then, out of nowhere, Vijay Zol became the captain. Sanju was ignored. Later, Sanju became the vice-captain,” he said.
‘Drop Surya, Samson is funny’
George said Samson’s performances in the T20 World Cup should have earned him a longer run in the side.He also came out in support of: Suryakumar Yadavwho captained India to the T20 World Cup title but was dropped as captain and from the squad.“Actually, if you look at it, if Sanju hadn’t played three consecutive brilliant innings, neither the selector would have kept his job, nor the chief selector. The whole team would have been sacked. Right?“Now, the man, the captain who won you the World Cup, the Man of the Tournament player, has been dropped, which is ridiculous. And there are some players – who are not named by anyone – who come in and join the playing XI directly. There are some players who are given so much freedom. Why not like this man?”
‘Recurring pattern’
George said Samson has time and again found himself fighting for his place despite producing match-winning performances whenever given opportunities.“This is not the first time this has happened with Sanju. This is a recurring pattern with him. He got injured, then dropped after the World Cup, then the points run and dropped again. It’s like, for him, it’s always a combination where he has to perform in every single game or every other game. Consistently. Isn’t it?” said a sad George.“So let’s see. I pray that he will be very positive, come back, give his best, and also prove these people wrong,” he signed off.