Ashwin reacts to Sanju Samson's exclusion from Zimbabwe T20Is
07 Jul 2026

Former Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has voiced his concerns over Sanju Samson's exclusion from the squad for the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe.

He described it as a bit harsh and warned that it could have an adverse effect on other players in the team.

While he welcomed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's inclusion, Ashwin questioned why Samson was left out in such a hurry.

Ashwin highlights Samson's recent performance
Performance analysis

Ashwin highlighted Samson's stellar performance in the recent T20 World Cup and IPL.

He said, "Sanju played a brilliant knock in the T20 World Cup. After that, he smashed it for CSK in the IPL this year."

Notably, Samson was adjudged the Player of the Tournament in the T20 WC, having recorded 80-plus scores in each of India's three knock-out games.

He then smashed two centuries in IPL 2026 to finish with 477 runs while striking at 165.62.

'Lack of confidence will hurt Team India' - Ashwin
Team morale

Ashwin warned that if the management shows a lack of confidence in performing players, it could affect the entire team.

He said, "If we show a lack of confidence like that, all the other players in the team will think that they are next."

"If they know they are the next, why will they play at a higher strike rate? They will knock them out. If they have to score 50 in 25 balls, they will score in 32 balls. The eventual loser will be Team India," he added.

Samson played a crucial role in T20 World Cup victory
Performance review

Though Samson was instrumental in India's 2026 T20 World Cup triumph, he has struggled with inconsistent performances in recent games.

Having recorded scores worth 1,0, and 5 in his last three T20Is, he was replaced by Sooryavanshi at the top of the order for the second T20I against England.

Notably, Samson is still a part of India's T20I squad for the Asian Games.

BCCI announces squad for Zimbabwe T20Is
Squad details

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced a 15-man squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, starting on July 23.

Squad: Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma (Vice-Captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Varun Chakravarthy, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav, Prabhsimran Singh (wk).