Indian batsman Sanju Samson (PTI photo)

Former Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin expressed concern about sanju samsonIndia’s sudden decline in the T20I rankings is raising questions about whether external pressure and social media stories are beginning to influence selection decisions. There has been a dramatic change in the fortunes of Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament during India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign earlier this year. After registering three consecutive single-digit scores against Ireland and England, he was left out of the playing eleven in Manchester, with teenage opener Vaibhav Suryavanshi being handed his much-awaited international debut. India lost the match by four wickets, while Suryavanshi could score only 14 runs. The wicketkeeper-batsman’s struggles continued as he was dropped from India’s squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, with Prabhsimran Singh getting the call-up after an impressive IPL 2026 campaign for Punjab Kings. speaking on his youtube channel matter of luxuryAshwin admitted that he was surprised by how quickly Samson was sidelined despite his recent contributions. “Right now, I am worried. I am worried because Sanju Samson has been dropped from the team so soon. What will Sanju be thinking now? How motivated will he be when he goes to practice in the nets?” Ashwin said. The former spinner also suggested that India might consider shuffling the batting order rather than leaving out Samson completely. With Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ishan Kishan being left-handers, Ashwin felt that Samson could slot in at No. 3. “At the moment, you already have three left-handers in the top order: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Ishan Kishan. Now, they will consider Sanju for No. 3, I am telling you. Everyone including the coaching staff and Gautam Gambhir knows that this is not fair to Sanju. So now they have to handle the situation somehow.” Ashwin acknowledged that tough decisions are part of international cricket, but argued that players who have consistently repaid the team’s faith in them deserve to play longer before being dropped. In his view, Samson had earned that support through his performance. The veteran also raised broader concerns over whether outside opinion was beginning to shape decisions within the Indian system. His selection was widely demanded by fans after Suryavanshi’s record-breaking IPL season, and Ashwin questioned whether public sentiment took place in the selection process. “I am worried about one thing. Is the social media chatter and all the external noise making its way into the team? Is it influencing the decision-making? I have been watching cricket for a long time and I have seen many leaders in the Indian team.” He never allowed outside noise to enter the dressing room and that’s how it should be,” he said.

India will travel to Zimbabwe later this month for a three-match T20 series in Harare on July 23, 25 and 27. Samson’s absence from the team is another blow for the 31-year-old, who has been replaced by Prabhsimran Singh after his strong domestic and IPL performances.