Who Faces Gautam Gambhir's Wrath If Sanju Samson Comes Back In India's Playing XI

Samson should be picked in the playing XI Vs England [Source: AFP]

India has played four T20Is after winning the T20 World Cup title in 2026, and interestingly, the Men in Blue are yet to win a single contest, having lost three of the games (with one getting abandoned). In the four matches played, India have tried a plethora of combinations, but nothing has worked, as Ireland and now England have defeated the side.

When the Indian squad was announced for the UK tour, one major dilemma was the selection of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the playing XI. India kept avoiding including him in the playing XI, but the breaking point came when the side finally decided to give him a chance in the second T20I against England.

With Sooryavanshi in, who got the axe? It was none other than Sanju Samson, the cricketer who won the T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament. Dropping him seemed like a harsh call as he had only failed in three innings.

With the Indian batters struggling against England in the second T20I, calls have been raised to include Samson in the playing XI. But if he comes in, who goes out?

Why Samson should be brought into the playing XI

Is three matches enough to drop him?

Three matches ago, he was India’s star opener, and now, he is out of the playing XI. Three matches ago, Samson played a match-winning knock in the final, and now, he has been omitted.

The man who gave India their third T20 World Cup title should be given a longer rope, and he should be given the remaining three matches against England to prove his worth.

Too many left-handers in India's batting order

Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan, Tilak Varma, Axar Patel, and Shivam Dube, India has six lefties in their top seven.

With so many similar style of players, bowlers’ jobs become easier as they don’t have to alter their lines and lengths after every delivery. However, a right-handed batter will break the monopoly, and Samson’s inclusion will do just that.

Who faces Gambhir's wrath if Samson comes in the playing XI?

There was a strong case for Tilak Varma’s axing before the second T20I, but the left-handed batter scored crucial 24 runs off just 11 balls and gave a perfect finish to India in the second T20I. However, there’s a new name who should be the front-runner to face the axe, and he is Ishan Kishan.

Kishan has had the same journey as Samson since the T20 World Cup. He delivered the goods in the marquee event, and then failed in four straight matches.

Even in the second T20I, Kishan did manage to score 49 off 40, but his strike rate of just 122 cost India the game in the middle-overs.

Also Read: Deja Vu For Sanju Samson As Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's Debut Brings Back Painful IPL Memory

Ishan Kishan stats during the UK tour

(Ishan Kishan stats in UK tour 2026)

• In the ongoing UK tour, Ishan Kishan has played four matches at number 3 and has accumulated a grand total of 62 runs. He has struggled to adapt in seaming conditions, and the bowlers have found it easy to contain him.
• Moreover, his strike-rate in the Ireland series was just 81.25, and against England, he has struck at a mere 116.67, showcasing his vulnerability.

Ishan Kishan's struggles outside India

When the ball does a bit and the conditions are tricky, Kishan fails to deliver the goods, and his record tells the story.

(Ishan Kishan T20I stats)

• As the table reveals, Kishan has scored most of his T20I runs in India, where flat wickets are produced, and the batters relish playing. Out of his 1390 T20I runs, 1100 have been scored in India.
• However, things change when he moves out of his comfort zone and plays in seaming conditions. His track-record in England, New Zealand, and Ireland is average, and apart from India, his best record stands in Sri Lanka, where he generally strikes at 179.62.

Samson has the experience of playing at number 3

If Gambhir is willing to drop Kishan, then Samson can directly slot in at number 3, and the Kerala batter has the experience of playing in that designated role.

He has played five innings for India at number 3, and apart from that, the right-handed batter has also played for the Rajasthan Royals at the same spot and has scored the bulk of his IPL runs at number 3 (3096).

Moreover, as said before, he’ll break the left-handed monopoly in the middle-order, and Samson also has a stellar record against England in this format.

If he comes in, Sooryavanshi will continue to open with Abhishek, with India playing the right-handed batter at 3, and Kishan getting the axe.

Also Read: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Told To Play 2027 ODI World Cup On 1 Condition