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India's Predicted XI vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I: No Place For Sanju Samson In Team?

The Indian cricket team begins the Gautam Gambhir-Suryakumar Yadav era in T20 international cricket, with the first match against Sri Lanka on Saturday. Some bold calls are expected to be taken as Suryakumar's young side looks to begin a new chapter in the shortest format in a bid to move on from stalwarts like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja, who all retired from T20Is after T20 World Cup 2024 triumph. Both Gambhir and Suryakumar have some tough calls to take as they select India's XI for the series opener.

"Not The Last Time": Ex India Star's Blunt Take On Sanju Samson's ODI Snub

Unarguably one of the most talented batters in the India spectrum, Sanju Samson's international career has been an intriguing one, with repeated snubs from the white-ball teams derailing his journey. Despite scoring a century in his last one-day international match, Samson wasn't deemed good enough for a spot in India's ODI series against Sri Lanka. Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa, when asked about Samson's case, had quite a blunt response, saying it's neither the first time, nor the last time that such a case happened with the wicket-keeper batter.

Watch: Gautam Gambhir Takes Charge Of His Training Session Ahead Of 1st T20I vs Sri Lanka

New India head coach Gautam Gambhir took charge of his first practice session on Wednesday, ahead of the first T20I against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. The Indian team arrived in Colombo on Monday, before the Suryakumar Yadav-led side, before making a short trip to Pallekele in the Central Province. India and Sri Lanka will play three T20Is in the city, followed by as many ODIs in Colombo. Following the retirement of captain Rohit Sharma from the T20I format, Suryakumar has been elevated for the leadership role for the three-match series.

"Are Those Guys Not Deserving?": Ajit Agarkar's No Nonsense Take On Sanju Samson's ODI Absence

Former India pacer Ajit Agarkar, who is the chairman of the BCCI selection committee, had to answer some tough questions in the press conference on Monday. Speaking to media with head coach Gautam Gambhir before the team's departure to Sri Lanka, Agarkar had more questions to answer about those snubbed by the selection committee than those selected. When asked about the absence of Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhishek Sharma, Agarkar gave a rather no-nonsense response, saying he can't fit everyone in a 15-man roster.

"Hard To Understand...": Harbhajan Singh Names 3 Massive Snubs For Sri Lanka Series

Former Indian cricket team spinner Harbhajan Singh pointed out three massive exclusions for the upcoming T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka. Harbhajan took to social media to express his disappointment at Abhishek Sharma, Yuzvendra Chahal and Sanju Samson missing out. While Samson did find a place in the T20I squad, Abhishek and Chahal were not included at all despite the young batter scoring big against Zimbabwe and the veteran spinner having a brilliant IPL season. "Hard to understand why @yuzi_chahal @IamAbhiSharma4 @IamSanjuSamson are not part of the Indian Team for Sri Lanka," he posted on his official handle on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Why Shubman Gill, And Not Hardik Pandya, Was Made Vice-Captain For T20Is vs Sri Lanka - Explained

The firebrand Gautam Gambhir announced his arrival as India's head coach by successfully ensuring the ascension of Suryakumar Yadav as the new T20 captain in place of Hardik Pandya, who seemed primed for the leadership role after Rohit Sharma's international retirement from the format. India's six-match white-ball series against Sri Lanka isn't exactly a run-of-the-mill bilateral engagement for Gambhir, whose mind seems to have aligned with chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar on the issue of captaincy. Both men decided unanimously to make Suryakumar the skipper keeping in mind the next T20 World Cup to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka in 2026.

Shashi Tharoor's Harsh Dig At Selectors Over India Squad For Sri Lanka Tour

Lok Sabha MP and cricket's avid fan, Shashi Tharoor has lashed out at the BCCI's selection committee for the squads picked for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour. The team selected by the board had some surprise exclusions that dragged the attention of Tharoor. He raised his voice against the omission of Sanju Samson from ODIs and Abhishek Sharma from T20Is. While Samson made it to the squad for the shortest format series against Sri Lanka, Abhishek -- who scored a sensational century in the recently concluded five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe -- was overlooked for the tour.

"Don't Think Sanju Samson Will Play 2026 T20 World Cup": India Star's Bold Claim

Out-of-favour India spinner Amit Mishra has made a bold claim during a recent interview. The cricketer, who last played for the nation in February 2017, opined that Samson is old now to feature in the 2026 T20 World Cup squad. Mishra claimed that it is Virat Kohli, who put forward this idea of giving young players more chances in the shortest format for India than the older ones. It is worth noting that Samson, 29, was part of India's 2024 T20 World Cup-winning team, though he warmed the bench throughout the tournament with Rishabh Pant playing the role of wicketkeeper-batter.

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Sanju Samson Sport News

India's Predicted XI vs Sri Lanka, 1st T20I: No Place For Sanju Samson In Team?

"Not The Last Time": Ex India Star's Blunt Take On Sanju Samson's ODI Snub

Watch: Gautam Gambhir Takes Charge Of His Training Session Ahead Of 1st T20I vs Sri Lanka

"Are Those Guys Not Deserving?": Ajit Agarkar's No Nonsense Take On Sanju Samson's ODI Absence

"Hard To Understand...": Harbhajan Singh Names 3 Massive Snubs For Sri Lanka Series

Why Shubman Gill, And Not Hardik Pandya, Was Made Vice-Captain For T20Is vs Sri Lanka - Explained

Shashi Tharoor's Harsh Dig At Selectors Over India Squad For Sri Lanka Tour

"Don't Think Sanju Samson Will Play 2026 T20 World Cup": India Star's Bold Claim