World · India Bureau
Gautam Gambhir reveals anguish over dropping Sanju Samson for Vaibhav Suryavanshi
India's head coach Gautam Gambhir has disclosed that benching senior wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson during the England T20I series to accommodate young talent Vaibhav Suryavanshi was among his most difficult decisions, leaving him unable to sleep.
LSN India ·
Gautam Gambhir opened up about the difficult selection call that haunted him during India's recent coaching tenure, acknowledging that dropping Sanju Samson from the England T20 International series was one of the toughest calls of his management period.
Gambhir revealed that the decision to give Vaibhav Suryavanshi an opportunity in place of the established Samson kept him awake at night. "That night I couldn't sleep," Gambhir said, underscoring the weight of the decision on his mind.
The head coach explained his rationale, noting that while Samson had been performing consistently over a lengthy period, the team had a specific objective to win the series, and Suryavanshi was in exceptional form and deserved his opportunity. The decision reflected Gambhir's balancing act between rewarding established performers and backing emerging talent.
Samson has been a regular fixture in India's T20 setup and had been in good form leading up to the England series. However, Suryavanshi's impressive form in recent matches made a compelling case for inclusion in the squad composition.