Ajit Agarkar's Biggest Issue With Sanju Samson Resurfaces After India vs Zimbabwe T20I Snub

Ajit Agarkar and Sanju Samson [Source: AFP]

Sanju Samson has kicked the bucket in the India vs Zimbabwe T20I series. The Gautam Gambhir-led India team management, backed by Ajit Agarkar as the chief selector, has rested him for the upcoming tour. 

Rinku Singh has made it back into the setup alongside Shivam Dube, with Samson making way for Prabhsimran Singh. 

Samson’s elimination from the squad didn't come as a shock, though. He performed poorly in the Ireland series, followed by a disappointing England opener in T20Is. This fast-tracked Vaibhav Sooryavanshi into the Playing XI and eventually sealed the fate for Sanju Samson.

The India vs Zimbabwe snub, however, raised multiple problems for the selectors with Samson. 

Apparently, a video of Ajit Agarkar has resurfaced where he was seen criticising the cricketer after a modest IPL season. That issue might have been the foundation of the dislike that Agarkar has for Samson.

Ajit Agarkar’s Old Video On Sanju Samson Resurfaces

Before being appointed as India's chief selector, Ajit Agarkar shared his views on Samson's inconsistency and inability to deliver in crucial matches during a video interview in 2020.

For the unaware, Samson had a modest IPL 2020 campaign, scoring 375 runs in 14 matches. However, his season was marked by inconsistency. He started brilliantly with knocks of 74 and 85 in his first two matches but failed to maintain that momentum. 

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His only other notable contributions came against KKR, MI, and PBKS, where he scored 36, 54, and 48, respectively. In most of the remaining matches, Samson was dismissed for single-digit scores.

When Ajit Agarkar Pointed At The Inconsistent Factor Of Samson

Ahead of India's tour of Australia in December 2020, Agarkar addressed Samson's inconsistency while discussing his selection. Samson went on to score just 48 runs in the entire series, averaging only 16, although he maintained a strike rate of 141.18. 

Those disappointing performances seemingly echoed Agarkar's assessment, as he had described Sanju Samson as an explosive batter whose poor shot selection and inconsistency prevented him from fulfilling his potential.

At the same time, Agarkar also praised Samson's talent, stating that if he could become more consistent and improve his shot selection, he would be unstoppable against any bowling attack. However, that has largely not been the case for the Kerala-born wicketkeeper-batter.

Neil🔪

@PsychDominant

Ajit Agarkar talking about Sanju Samson’s inconsistency in 2021 before becoming the chief selector.

Jul 6, 2026, 10:35 PM

"Shot selection, I think. I think that's been his biggest problem throughout his career. I mean, we've been talking about it every IPL, the same thing. There are always three or four magical innings in there, but nothing around them. 

And if those three or four magical innings don't win you the game on that night, then they really stand for nothing. So, being consistent is important. I think shot selection is the key for him because, once he's in, I don't think there's any bowler who can stop him," Agarkar said in an old video.

The Samson Snub Falls In Place

Despite delivering a Player of the Tournament-winning campaign at the 2026 T20 World Cup, Samson immediately endured a lean run on the Ireland tour, managing just five runs in two matches. 

He then scored only one run in the opening T20I against England before being replaced by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the second match.

All of these performances may now help explain why Sanju Samson was not selected for India's T20I tour of Zimbabwe by Ajit Agarkar & Co.

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