Sanju Samson 'rested, not dropped' for Zimbabwe tour as T20I selection clarity emerges: Report

The selectors viewed the Zimbabwe tour as an opportunity to test fringe players, a strategy they have adopted on previous tours to the country as well.

Days after he was dropped from the playing XI for the second T20I against England in Manchester, Sanju Samson was also left out of the squad for India's tour of Zimbabwe later this month. The BCCI selection committee's overhaul, which introduced several fresh faces into the T20I setup, sparked debate after the Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup earlier this year was omitted. However, a report on Tuesday offered clarity behind the decision.

India's Sanju Samson plays a shot during the first Twenty20 (T20) international cricket match between England and India (AFP)

According to The Indian Express, Samson has been "rested and not dropped" as the selectors wanted to hand an opportunity to Prabhsimran Singh following his impressive IPL campaign for Punjab Kings. The report also stated that Samson's omission does not signal that the selectors have moved on from him.

The decision triggered widespread discussion in Indian cricket, coming just four days after Samson was benched for the Manchester T20I to accommodate Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's debut. The senior batter had endured a disappointing start to the white-ball tour of Europe, scoring just five runs across two innings against Ireland before managing only one run in the opening T20I against England at Chester-le-Street, prompting the team management to make the change.

Samson was not the only senior player rested. Axar Patel, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar and Arshdeep Singh were also left out, although their omission is largely attributed to their involvement in the ODI series against England, which concludes on July 19, only four days before the Zimbabwe T20Is begin.

Samson's case, however, stood out. Unlike the others, he has featured only in the T20I format in recent months, leading many to speculate that Ishan Kishan had moved ahead of him in the pecking order as India's first-choice wicketkeeper.

The report, however, said the selectors viewed the Zimbabwe tour as an opportunity to test fringe players, a strategy they have adopted on previous tours to the country as well.

"The selectors were keen to try young players and that is why you will see young pacers like Ashok Sharma, Yash Thakur and Mayank Yadav getting a chance. There is a decent pool of pacers which the selection committee wants to create. As far as Sanju's case is concerned, he is rested like Axar and Arshdeep," a BCCI source told the newspaper.

The report added that Samson, along with Axar, Arshdeep and Harshit, was rested to manage workload after nearly six months of continuous cricket. While that rationale appears straightforward for players involved across formats, Samson's omission raised eyebrows because he has been active only in T20Is.

Captain Shreyas Iyer and vice-captain Tilak Varma have been retained to give them more time in their leadership roles. Rinku Singh has also earned a recall, while Sooryavanshi is expected to partner Prabhsimran Singh at the top of the order in Samson's absence.