‘What’s the guarantee that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would keep doing well?’ - Aakash Chopra questions Sanju Samson’s Zimbabwe T20I exclusion

Former India cricketer and commentator Aakash Chopra has called Sanju Samson’s exclusion from India’s T20I squad for the Zimbabwe series wrong, questioning whether Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s recent form guarantees continued success. The former opener shared his views in a video on his YouTube channel, a day after India named their 15-member squad for the tour.

Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 after amassing 321 runs in five innings, has been left out of India’s squad for the three-match T20I series in Harare later this month. The 31-year-old managed just six runs across three innings in the ongoing T20I series against England before being dropped from the playing XI. Ishan Kishan and Prabhsimran Singh have been named as the two wicketkeepers for the Zimbabwe tour.

“Honestly, it’s wrong. When we played the first T20I, I also believed you wouldn’t be able to make Vaibhav sit out since you had lost the series to Ireland, but you would have to make a rotation policy to give him a chance. You don’t make the other guy disappear to make a place for someone,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel.

Aakash Chopra questions Sanju Samson’s omission after world cup triumph

The former India opener was vocal in Samson’s defence, arguing that three poor innings were insufficient reason to overlook the Kerala batter’s T20 World Cup heroics.

“He (Samson) is the guy who won you the World Cup. It’s not somebody who is a non-performer. Three innings went bad, and you forgot everything. That worries me a little. It saddens my heart a little because what’s the guarantee that Vaibhav Sooryavanshi would keep doing well?” Chopra added.

Could Abhishek Sharma have been rested instead of Sanju Samson?

Chopra also pointed out that India had sent a full-strength batting lineup to Zimbabwe, making Samson’s absence all the more puzzling.

“I am shocked. How would you communicate this decision that it took us three matches to figure out that you are not good enough? I felt there was no need to move away from Sanju. You could have had a rotation policy. If you had asked me, I would have said rest Abhishek,” Chopra observed.

India take on Zimbabwe in the first of three T20Is in Harare later this month, as the defending T20 World Cup champions prepare for a new cycle of bilateral fixtures.