'Does Prabhsimran get released and Sanju comes back?' - Robin Uthappa dissects India’s team combination ahead of ZIM vs IND 2026 T20Is

Sanju Samson has been left out of India's squad for the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe later this month. He recently lost his place in India's playing XI to Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who replaced him in the second T20I against England last week. While many feel that Samson has been dropped, some sources have claimed that he has been rested.

For the T20Is against Zimbabwe in Harare, Prabhsimran Singh has received a maiden call-up, replacing Samson. Former India cricketer Robin Uthappa wondered whether Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and Prabhsimran Singh get runs on the tour to the African nation. He asked whether Samson would replace Prabhsimran in the side even if the latter performs well against the Chevrons.

Uthappa hoped that there has been clear communication between the selectors, the team management, and the players, especially Samson, regarding the selection calls.

"What happens now if Prabhsimran Singh, Abhishek Sharma and Vaibhav Suryavanshi get big runs in Zimbabwe? Zimbabwe is a happy hunting ground for Vaibhav too, having scored big in the Under-19 World Cup. Does Prabh then get released and Sanju comes back? Based on what happens then, there will be clarity and players will also realize if there is a sense of security at all in this job," Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.

"If he is being rested, then that needs to be communicated. Because we've seen this before, where a player is said to be rested but never returns. Hopefully this is an informed decision that restores faith in the process. Maybe they prove us wrong and that there is actually a process-oriented selection system there. When players have second-hand experiences like these, it makes them feel very insecure," he added.

"That part is definitely right" - Robin Uthappa on Vaibhav Suryavanshi's selection

While Uthappa believes that dropping Samson wasn't the right move, he expressed his happiness on seeing Sooryavanshi in the side, making his international debut.

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"Vaibhav Suryavanshi needs to be in the setup. That part is definitely right. He can either open or bat at No.3 so that he can be the replacement for one of the openers or Ishan Kishan," said Uthappa (via the aforementioned source).