Former Indian chief selector MSK Prasad has finally broken his silence on Sanju Samson’s dropping from the T20I side after only three failures. Sanju Samson first lost his place in the India XI on the ongoing England tour, and then he was dropped for the Zimbabwe tour.
He managed only 13 runs across three innings before being dropped from India’s T20I side. This sparked massive uproar among the fans and cricket fraternity. However, Prasad believes that Samson has not been dropped from India’s T20I team despite missing the upcoming Zimbabwe tour. Recently, S Badrinath questions Gautam Gambhir’s backing of Tilak Varma as Sanju Samson dropped from T20I side.
MSK Prasad rejects claims that 3 failures cost Sanju Samson his place
MSK Prasad believes that the Indian selectors have simply rested Sanju Samson to give young players like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Prabhsimran Singh a chance at the international level.
He said that it is difficult to believe that a player who was India’s Player of the Tournament in the 2026 T20 World Cup would be dropped after just a few poor innings.
He feels the Zimbabwe tour is mainly being used to test India’s bench strength and try out new combinations. The former chief selector also pointed out that Samson has already been included in India’s squad for the upcoming Asian Games, which “clearly tells me he has not been dropped—he has simply been rested.”
Don’t think he has been dropped: MSK Prasad
MSK Prasad was quoted as saying by Revsportz, “I personally feel that someone who has helped India win the T20 World Cup and was the Player of the Tournament cannot simply be dropped.”
“I am convinced this is more about resting him and giving an opportunity to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. The selectors want to see whether he is ready for international cricket. Otherwise, leaving out a player of Sanju’s stature is difficult to justify. I don’t think he has been dropped.”
The former Indian cricketer added, “At the same time, you cannot disregard someone who has won the T20 World Cup for India. The first six months after a World Cup are usually about experimentation.”
“The selectors try different combinations before gradually settling on their core group, 12 to 18 months ahead of the next World Cup. This could simply be part of that process. But if anyone says Sanju has been dropped because of three failures, I completely disagree.”
MSK Prasad says Sanju Samson will return even stronger after omission
Prasad does not think this break will affect Samson’s confidence. He believes that the Kerala wicketkeeper has become a much more consistent player over the last few years and has already proved himself with match-winning performances for India, including his heroics in the T20 World Cup earlier this year. Amid this, Aakash Chopra responds to Kapil Dev’s criticism of Virat Kohli’s Test retirement.
He added, “He is an exceptional talent. If someone says he has been dropped, I cannot accept that. This will not dent his confidence. If anything, it will motivate him to work even harder.”
MSK Prasad sends big message to Ajit Agarkar over Sanju Samson’s future
The former Indian wicketkeeper admitted that India now has plenty of opening options, including Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Prabhsimran Singh, Sai Sudharsan, and Shubman Gill, making selection very difficult. He feels tours like Zimbabwe are the right time to test young players before major tournaments.
Prasad suggested the current chief selector Ajit Agarkar tell Samson that he remains one of the key players in this Indian team and continue backing him. However, he understands why the selectors wanted to experiment, keeping in mind the 2028 ICC T20 World Cup.
He signed off by saying, “How he manages his fitness and performances over the next 18 to 20 months is entirely in his hands. I don’t think the selectors will make such a decision again unless his performances drop significantly. For me, Sanju Samson should remain an integral part of India’s core T20 side.”