Rahane Defends Sanju Samson After T20I Omission

Why Sanju Samson’s Spot Matters

Ajinkya Rahane has spoken out against the selection committee’s decision to leave Sanju Samson out of India’s T20I touring party for Zimbabwe. The veteran batter took to Instagram to voice his bewilderment, noting that Samson had been a key figure in the recent ICC T20 World Cup triumph.

“Hope there has been some communication with 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’s story read. The comment follows the BCCI’s announcement of a 15‑member squad that includes two fresh faces but omits the popular wicketkeeper‑batsman.

Full India Squad for the Harare Series

• Shreyas Iyer (Captain)
• Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (15‑year‑old midfielder who replaced Samson in the second T20I vs England)
• Abhishek Sharma
• Tilak Varma (Vice‑Captain)
• Ishan Kishan (Wicket‑keeper)
• Shivam Dube
• Suryansh Shedge
• Rinku Singh
• Harsh Dubey
• Varun Chakaravarathy
• Prince Yadav
• Yash Thakur (Maiden India call‑up)
• Ashok Sharma
• Mayank Yadav
• Prabhsimran Singh (Wicket‑keeper, also a first‑time international selection)

What the Tour Holds for India

The three T20I matches will be staged entirely in Harare, beginning on July 23. Shreyas Iyer leads the side, with Tilak Varma serving as his deputy. The series marks the return of Prabhsimran Singh and Yash Thakur to the national set‑up, while veteran Vaibhav Sooryavanshi retains his spot after impressing on his debut against England.

Rahane’s public support for Samson adds a new layer to the conversation around India’s middle‑order and wicketkeeping options. While the BCCI has chosen a mix of youth and experience for the Zimbabwe series, fans and analysts will be watching closely to see whether Samson regains a foothold in the limited‑overs line‑up in upcoming fixtures.