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India head coach Gautam Gambhir has opened up on one of the most difficult selection calls of his tenure, revealing that leaving out Sanju Samson during the England T20I series was the only decision that kept him awake at night.
The decision came at a particularly difficult time for the Indian team. Samson had been one of India's key performers during the 2026 T20 World Cup campaign and was named Player of the Tournament as India went on to win the title.
Yet only a few months later, his place in the playing XI came under pressure.
With 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi pushing hard for an opportunity after a remarkable run of form, India chose to make a change during the England T20I series. Gambhir has now explained just how difficult that call was.
Speaking to JioStar ahead of India's home season, Gambhir said that the decision to leave Samson out was the toughest selection call he had faced in T20 cricket since taking charge of the Indian team.
He also revealed that he personally spoke to Samson about the decision.
"In two years of my journey, that was the only night I could not sleep," Gambhir said while explaining the decision.
The India coach said the situation was particularly difficult because Samson had only recently been named the best player of India's T20 World Cup-winning campaign.
Why did India drop Sanju Samson?
The decision was not simply about Samson's form.
Gambhir explained that Sooryavanshi was also in exceptional form at the time, leaving the management with a difficult choice between an established international performer and a teenager who was rapidly forcing his way into the side.
Sooryavanshi had already produced a huge IPL season in 2026. The Rajasthan Royals batter finished the tournament with 776 runs, putting him at the top of the run-scoring charts.
That form eventually earned him his India debut against England.
Samson was left out after the opening match of the five-game series, while Sooryavanshi was brought into the XI for the second T20I.
It was a major moment for Indian cricket. Sooryavanshi was only 15, while Samson had just come off a World Cup-winning campaign.
Sooryavanshi's opportunity came after a huge IPL season
There was plenty of reason for India to look at Sooryavanshi.
His 2026 IPL campaign was extraordinary for a player of his age. He scored 776 runs in 16 innings, averaging 48.50, according to IPL statistics, while his aggressive batting made him one of the most talked-about players of the tournament.
His international numbers also quickly became noteworthy.
During India's T20I series against Zimbabwe, Sooryavanshi scored 151 runs from 77 balls across the series at a strike rate above 196.
That run of form made his selection difficult to ignore.
However, his introduction to international cricket did not immediately produce the same results. During the England series, he made 14, 13 and 15 in his three appearances before being left out of the final match, with Samson returning to the XI.
Samson answered with the bat
The selection debate changed again when India faced Afghanistan in September.
Samson was restored to the opening position alongside Abhishek Sharma, while Sooryavanshi moved to the bench.
The 31-year-old responded almost immediately.
After scoring 10 in the opening T20I, Samson smashed 57 from just 22 balls in the second match. He then followed it with another half-century in the third T20I as India completed a 3-0 series sweep.
The second-match innings was particularly aggressive. Samson reached his half-century from only 20 balls and helped India chase down Afghanistan's 159 with more than five overs remaining.
The performances also pushed his overall T20I numbers further. Samson has been a regular part of India's T20 setup and has already scored three T20I hundreds in his career.
Gambhir: Sooryavanshi will have to wait
Gambhir's latest comments also provide some clarity about Sooryavanshi's current position.
The coach said the youngster knows what he is capable of, but that being in excellent form does not automatically guarantee a place in the playing XI.
India's management chose to return to the combination that had delivered the T20 World Cup, with Samson and Abhishek Sharma opening the innings.
Gambhir's argument is that players who have contributed to a successful team do not suddenly become poor players after a few unsuccessful matches.
That principle applies to both sides of the selection debate.
Sooryavanshi may have produced a spectacular IPL season and made an immediate impression internationally, but the team management still has to balance his potential against the performances and experience of players already established in India's XI.
The selection battle is far from over
The Samson-Sooryavanshi debate is unlikely to disappear anytime soon.
On one side, India have Samson, a World Cup-winning batter who has recently returned to form and already has a significant T20I record.
On the other is Sooryavanshi, one of the most productive young batters in the country in 2026 and a player whose IPL and international performances have created enormous expectations.
For Gambhir and India's selection group, the difficult part is no longer simply identifying talented players. It is deciding when there is room for each of them.
For now, Samson has regained his place at the top of India's T20I order.
Sooryavanshi, meanwhile, has been told to wait.
And Gambhir's latest admission shows just how difficult that decision was the first time around.
