Former India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has expressed concern over Sanju Samson‘s sudden fall in India’s T20I pecking order, questioning whether outside pressure and social media narratives are beginning to influence selection decisions. Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament during India’s successful T20 World Cup campaign earlier this year, has endured a dramatic change in fortunes. After registering three successive single-digit scores against Ireland and England, he was dropped from the playing XI in Manchester, with teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi handed his much-awaited international debut. India lost the match by four wickets, while Sooryavanshi managed 14 runs. The wicketkeeper-batter’s struggles continued when he was left out of India’s squad for the upcoming three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, with Prabhsimran Singh earning the call-up instead after an impressive IPL 2026 campaign for Punjab Kings. Speaking on his YouTube channel Ash Ki Baat, Ashwin admitted he was surprised by how quickly Samson had been sidelined despite his recent contributions. “Right now, I’m concerned. I’m worried because Sanju Samson has been dropped from the team so quickly. 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 India could look at reshuffling the batting order rather than pushing Samson out altogether. With Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Ishan Kishan all being left-handers, Ashwin felt 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’m telling you. Everyone knows, including the coaching staff and Gautam Gambhir, that this hasn’t been fair to Sanju. So now they’ll have to manage the situation somehow.” Ashwin acknowledged that tough calls are part of international cricket but argued that players who have consistently repaid the team’s faith deserve a longer run before being discarded. In his view, Samson had earned that backing through his performances. The veteran also raised a broader concern over whether external opinion was beginning to shape decisions within the Indian setup. Sooryavanshi’s selection had been widely demanded by fans following his record-breaking IPL season, and Ashwin questioned whether that public sentiment had found its way into the selection process. “I’m concerned about one thing. Are social media narratives and all the outside noise finding their way into the team? Is that influencing the decision-making? I’ve been watching cricket for a long time and have seen many leaders in the Indian team. They never allowed outside noise to enter the dressing room, and that’s exactly how it should be,” he said. India will travel to Zimbabwe later this month for a three-match T20I series in Harare on July 23, 25 and 27. Samson’s absence from the squad marks another setback for the 31-year-old, whose place has gone to Prabhsimran Singh after the latter’s strong domestic and IPL performances.
