‘Find it odd that the hero of our...’: Rahane hopes for Samson’s comeback to T20I squad

Former India Test captain Ajinkya Rahane hopes that the team management and selectors have had clear communication with Sanju Samson after he was left out of the T20I squad for Zimbabwe tour. As the team was announced on July 6, there was no official word on whether Samson has been dropped or rested. While the selectors often send a second-string squad for T20Is in Zimbabwe, Samson’s absence has become a topic of debate especially after he was benched for the second T20I of the series against England to make way for a young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s debut. 

“Hope there has been some communication with Sanju Samson. Find it odd that the hero of our recent T20 WC win has been left out of the T20 squad to Zimbabwe. Hope to see him back in the team soon,” Rahane wrote in an Instagram story on July 7.

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Samson’s string of low scores after T20 World Cup 2026 triumph

31-year-old Samson has managed to score just six runs on the UK tour which includes two games against Ireland. However, he scored three consecutive half-centuries in knockout games in T20 World Cup 2026. He was named ‘Player of the tournament’ for scoring 321 runs from just five innings at a strike rate of nearly 200, even better than Ishan Kishan.

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Samson’s run in IPL 2026 for CSK

Before the UK tour, Samson had scored two centuries and a fifty in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 for Chennai Super Kings (CSK). From 14 innings, he scored 477 runs, averaging 43.36 and strike rate of 165.62.

Who replaced Samson on Zimbabwe tour?

While Kishan retained his place in the squad for Zimbabwe tour, the wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh got his maiden T20I call-up. The 25-year-old Punjab Kings (PBKS) opener scored 510 runs from 13 innings in the IPL 2026, averaging 42.50. He scored at a strike rate of 168.87. He scored six fifties in the season.

India’s T20I squad for Zimbabwe tour

Shreyas Iyer (c), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma (vc), Ishan Kishan (wk), Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Varun Chakaravarathy, Prince Yadav, Yash Thakur, Ashok Sharma, Mayank Yadav, Prabhsimran Singh (wk).