Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in action during the Asian Games in Japan. (PTI)
Sooryavanshi is now fighting for a place in the playing XI with Samson, the man whose 97 not out, 89 and 89 in the knockout stages helped India defend their T20 World Cup title. But since those heroics, Samson has managed only two half-centuries in 11 innings, both coming in Delhi, a venue traditionally favourable to batters. In six of those innings, he has been dismissed for single-digit scores.
Gambhir has also made no secret of his faith in Samson, India’s Player of the Tournament in the 2026 T20 World Cup. Lucknow, Oct 06 (ANI): India’s Sanju Samson plays a shot during the 1st T20I match against West Indies at Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium, in Lucknow on Tuesday. (ANI Photo) “In the world of cricket, the way it has gone in India, the onus is always on the individual.
He admitted that leaving the Kerala batter out during India’s tour of England was the “toughest decision” he has made since taking charge as head coach. That is a very important aspect of how he will be able to control and manage this situation,” Somasunder told TimesofIndia.com. So he’s done enough,” Gambhir said in an interview with Jio Hotstar, praising Samson. He was a very brash young kid, but if they saw that he could be the future captain of the Australian team, then they needed to groom him to behave appropriately and develop the right leadership skills,” he said.
“Sooryavanshi has achieved what he has achieved so far on his own. Now, suddenly, his status in the cricketing world has moved to a different tangent. The world sees him differently, and he sees himself differently in the world. What is in his control is the only thing that we can talk about: how he manages himself in this new world that he is in and how he manages the way the world responds to the new Sooryavanshi. Someone doesn’t become a Player of the Tournament in a World Cup without having the talent. So Sanju Samson has done enough. Gambhir, however, has stressed that Samson does not need anyone to validate his place in the team, pointing to his performances as proof of his ability. “First of all, he doesn’t need to give me any credit (for proper communication when he wasn’t playing). His talent itself is enough for him to be in the dressing room. He’s shown what he’s capable of. In Australia, for example, I remember Ricky Ponting was a very brash young talent. I have heard, though I am not sure if it is true and I have not verified it, that the Australian Institute of Sport, as it was called initially, identified Ricky Ponting as a leader. What they did was take the initiative to groom Ponting as the next captain.
The youngster did make his India debut under Gambhir during the tour of England earlier this year, but India’s head coach made it clear that Sooryavanshi will have to wait for his opportunity.
