'It's going to leave everyone insecure': Harsha Bhogle says Sanju Samson was 'dropped', not 'rested' for Zimbabwe T20I series

'It's going to leave everyone insecure': Harsha Bhogle says Sanju Samson was 'dropped', not 'rested' for Zimbabwe T20I series originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Harsha Bhogle insists Samson was dropped, not rested, and calls it "uncomfortable."

Bhogle warns the decision will leave every player in the squad feeling insecure.

Sooryavanshi retained for Zimbabwe tour despite modest debut, shows India's long-term intent.

Harsha Bhogle refuses to accept 'rested' narrative as Sanju Samson's future hangs in the balance

Harsha Bhogle has insisted that he believes Sanju Samson was "dropped", not "rested", for the Zimbabwe T20I series and has warned that this decision is "going to leave everyone insecure."

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The sheer speed of Samson's fall is what makes this situation so difficult to process. Just a few months ago, he was celebrated as the standout performer of India's T20 World Cup triumph, his knockout contributions earning him the Player of the Tournament award.

Now he finds himself first dropped during the England series after a poor run of scores, and then left out of the Zimbabwe squad entirely.

While Samson does retain a place in the Asian Games squad, the trajectory is hard to read as anything other than deeply concerning.

Bhogle was direct, saying he had been around long enough to understand what the word "rested" actually means in cricket's unspoken language. He described it as a convenient cover for an uncomfortable reality, one that avoids the directness the situation deserves.

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MORE: Rahane 'finds it odd' that Samson was dropped from India squad for ZIM tour

Speaking on his YouTube Channel, the commentator said: "I'm uncomfortable with the decision to leave him out and with the suggestion being fed through that he has been rested. I've been around long enough to know what rested means. The word rested is a comfortable exit for an uncomfortable reality.

"When you say a player is rested, you've got to ask if he wants to be rested, whether it leaves him insecure, whether it leaves him a little worried. And I would have felt exactly the same way if it was only Abhishek Sharma or it was only Ishan Kishan, or in this case, if it is only Sanju Samson. Sometimes I've heard it said we want to look at others."

Bhogle compared Samson's situation to Yashasvi Jaiswal's trajectory, noting that Jaiswal served as a reserve player at the 2024 T20 World Cup before being edged out by Abhishek Sharma's arrival.

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"Remember Yashasvi Jaiswal, Yashasvi Jaiswal is the reserve player in the T20 World Cup of 2024," he said.

"Thereafter, you gave Abhishek Sharma an opportunity. Abhishek grabs it with both hands. He's a brilliant player. He's a phenomenal player and good on him, it benefited India, but Yashasvi never got back in. And I think it's actually left him insecure, but we'll let that be, that is for another day. This is about Sanju Samson."

Bhogle believes that the selectors should have communicated the truth to Samson and pointed out the reasons for dropping him.

"This selection committee has taken some bold calls, and I wouldn't have minded at all if they had said he had been dropped for 1, 2, 3 reasons," Bhogle said.

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"We wouldn't then have to flirt around with usage or words and we would have come straight to the point and said, 'Should Sanju Samson be dropped?' I don't like the word rested, so I don't even believe that is true. So I will work on the principle that he has been dropped. Should Sanju Samson be dropped? Good heavens, no."

MORE: How omission from India's tour of ZIM could mark the end of Sanju's international career

Harsha Bhogle believes Samson's axing is a warning to the whole squad

India's recent selection track record had been built on a culture of backing class, whether it was Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy or Suryakumar Yadav through difficult patches. And this made Bhogle argue that dropping a World Cup Player of the Tournament after a few innings tells every other player in the squad that nobody's place is truly safe.

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"This Indian team, over the last few years, has established a very pleasant pattern of backing players. Whether it's been Kuldeep Yadav at times, whether it's been Varun Chakravarthy, whether it's been Sanju Samson himself, whether it's been Suryakumar Yadav, you picked class and you've backed class," Bhogle said.

"And so I don't know what's happening at the moment. Three innings, two of those in very unusual conditions. Conditions you're not used to, you haven't had time to get acclimatised to, and then one great catch at backward point, and is that good enough to leave out people? What does it leave...

"What does it tell the rest of the players on the side? Can you imagine what it's telling the others? Player of the tournament, dropped? So is it going to be me tomorrow? If I have two poor games, is my neck on the block? It's going to leave everyone insecure, and that is the last, last thing you want in a team."

MORE: India squad for Zimbabwe T20I tour 2026: Samson dropped!

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's retention makes the message loud and clear

The clearest indication of where India's thinking lies comes from the squad itself. Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the 15-year-old who made his debut in place of Samson during the England series and scored a modest 14, has been retained for the Zimbabwe tour despite that relatively quiet start.

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The decision to back the teenager over an experienced World Cup-winning wicketkeeper sends a message that doesn't need any interpretation.

India have made their choice about the direction of their T20 top order, and for Samson, the window to fight his way back may be narrowing faster than the team management is willing to admit on record.

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