Sanju Samson has been dropped from the team again. In the ongoing T20 series against Australia, he played at number 3 in the first match, scored just 2 runs, and was dropped from the next.
Jitesh Sharma, who played a brilliant innings in Hobart, is now taking his place.
This decision by the team management has surprised everyone.
Aakash Chopra reprimands
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra is furious. He says what is happening to Sanju is absolutely absurd.
He said on his YouTube channel, “The biggest question is, what are we doing with Sanju Samson? He has done reasonably well, scoring a fifty against Oman and performing decently in the Asia Cup final.
Yet, he keeps getting moved around and dropped. The management said they know what they are doing with him, and we respected that—but now this situation makes no sense.”
Sanju has scored the third-highest number of runs for India since the 2024 T20 World Cup.
He did well opening the innings with Abhishek Sharma. But after Shubman Gill’s return, he was pushed down the middle order and is now out of the XI.
Will Jitesh get a chance or not?
Chopra asked whether Jitesh would get consistent opportunities or would he continue to be shuffled around like Sanyu.
He said, “If Jitesh has done well and the team has won, logic says you continue with him. But will they actually do that? I don’t know. There’s no clear direction here.”
From the Asia Cup to the Australia tour, Sanyu’s position changed repeatedly. 56 runs against Oman at No. 3, 13 runs against Pakistan at No. 5, and 39 runs against Sri Lanka at No. 5.
DD/M in Canberra, 2 runs in Melbourne, then dropped in Hobart and Queensland. Jitesh won everyone’s heart with his short but sharp innings in Hobart.
The team defeated Australia by 48 runs in the fourth T20I to take a 2-1 series lead. Arshdeep Singh’s brilliant catch and Shivam Dube’s batting turned the match around.
