It began as a brilliant piece of improvisational comedy on a YouTube screen, but it quickly evolved into one of the most damning structural critiques of Indian cricket’s selection policy in recent memory.
In a recent appearance on his YouTube show, veteran off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin decided to address the much-debated omission of Sanju Samson from India’s T20I squad for the tour of Zimbabwe by turning into an actor. Engaging in a mock roleplay where journalist Vimal Kumar played a selector and Ashwin played a desperate, rest-rejecting Samson, the exchange was pure internet gold:
Vimal (as selector): “You have done exceptionally well, we are so proud of you. But, you also know when we started.”
Ashwin (as Sanju): “I don’t want any rest. If I want, I will bring my mother, father and wife along with me to Zimbabwe. I want to play there. I have never been to Bulawayo. They are a proud cricketing nation. I saw in 1999, Zimbabwe beat India in the World Cup. I want to take revenge for that. Please take me there, I don’t want to rest.”
COMEDY TO CHILLING REALITY
While the internet laughed at Ashwin’s flawless comic timing and Samson’s fictional 1999 World Cup revenge plot, the underlying reality for the Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman is far from funny.
Just weeks ago, Samson was standing on top of the world as the Player of the Tournament in India’s triumphant T20 World Cup campaign, having delivered three crucial knocks, including match-winning innings in both the semi-final and the final. Yet, following a brief three-match slump across Ireland and England where he managed just six runs, the axe fell with astonishing speed. Dropped for the second T20I in England, Samson was entirely excluded from the Zimbabwe touring party.
The squad selection becomes even more curious upon closer inspection. While core bowlers like Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel were given legitimate breathers, Samson was the lone star batter from the top six to be “rested.” Peers like Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Shreyas Iyer, and the rapidly rising 15-year-old phenom Vaibhav Sooryavanshi all retained their places, while Prabsimran Singh was brought in to fill the wicketkeeping slot. On social media, whispers abound that Samson has been sidelined to clear a path for Sooryavanshi’s meteoric ascent.
INSECURITY IN THE TEAM?
Once the laughter from the skit subsided, Ashwin pulled no punches, delivering a dead-serious warning about how this ruthless chopping and changing breeds a toxic culture of survival within the national dressing room.
“Who is next?” Ashwin asked bluntly.
“After those two losses in Ireland and loss of form, they have made Sanju Samson sit out. Now, we have lost two in England. So, who is next? This is really wrong. I really hope the Indian cricketers don’t find themselves in an insecure spot. I previously spoke about Suryakumar Yadav (dropping him from the squad). Players will go insular, they will start thinking about themselves more than the team. In T20 cricket, that is disastrous. If batters start thinking ‘if I don’t score runs, I might be benched’, then they will start playing for their places. That is extremely dangerous.”
Ashwin warned that when a player realises the team management will not protect them through a brief dip, the collective ethos of the squad shatters.
“Imagine this situation. Let’s say Sanju Samson is given an opportunity again. He might start thinking for himself. And you can’t even say that is wrong. I really hope they find a measure to this.”
LONG ROPE ONLY TO A FEW?
Earlier this week, head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed the debate around dropping Sanju Samson and hinted the wicketkeeper-batter was excluded because of his form.
“Regarding Sanju, we are very clear what he has done for India has been phenomenal and sometimes you just have to look at the form of a certain player. There is no hard and fast rule that he cannot make a comeback in this series,” Gambhir said.
What clearly irks Ashwin is the glaring asymmetry in how different players are treated by the selectors. He pointedly recalled the grand rhetoric used by head coach Gautam Gambhir just weeks ago regarding under-fire Test players.
“What was said when the team management spoke about giving a long rope to Sai Sudharsan in Tests? They said ‘you can’t judge a player in four matches’. It has not been even a month since that was said. Amazing. But, where has Sanju Samson fallen? Yes, you can’t treat all players in the same way. But, at least, you can give him two more opportunities. I am hoping this insecurity doesn’t spread through the team.”
Ultimately, Ashwin dismantled the very vocabulary the selectors and the team management uses to justify these omissions, pointing out the absurdity of giving “rest” to an athlete who only plays a single format for his country.
“What is the meaning of rest? It’s not a written rule that opportunities need to be given on these tours. What does Sanju Samson play? He only plays T20Is, not Tests and ODis. What’s the point of giving him rest? He can rest after the tour of Zimbabwe. He has a very nice place in Trivandrum. Why will he rest? He is just playing T20s. Why will he want to take rest. What else can I say? It’s unfair. But, it is what it is.”
– Ends
