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The selection choices for the first T20 International between India and South Africa at the Barabati Stadium have ignited a firestorm of criticism, with the exclusion of popular wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson leaving fans and pundits alike incensed. The team management’s decision to stick with the combination that concluded the recent Australia series, notably retaining Jitesh Sharma as the first-choice glovesman, has been widely slammed as a backward step in the crucial build-up to the T20 World Cup 2026.
India drop Sanju Samson by sticking to recent template
India’s Playing XI, led by Suryakumar Yadav, saw the return of key all-rounder Hardik Pandya and opener Shubman Gill, but otherwise maintained the core group from the preceding series. This meant there was no space for Samson, nor for spinner Kuldeep Yadav, with the team management reportedly favoring the finishing abilities of Jitesh in the lower-middle order.
Samson, who had previously been batting at the top of the order before the return of vice-captain Gill, has since struggled to cement his position in the middle-order, a situation that Captain Suryakumar has previously acknowledged as a “good headache” for the team.
India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Jitesh Sharma(w), Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Arshdeep Singh.
Social media erupts over snub of Samson from first T20I
The omission of Samson, especially in a critical series intended to finalize the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, did not sit well with the vast majority of fans. Social media platforms were flooded with angry messages and trending hashtags, with many lambasting the BCCI and the team management for what they perceive as inconsistent and unfair treatment of the talented Kerala cricketer.
Here’s how fans reacted:
So the guy who scored two T20I centuries against South Africa the last time we played them… had to sit on the bench now🙂
It really feels like the system keeps backing certain players regardless of form, while the genuinely deserving ones don’t always get the same trust or…
— Sanju Samson Fans Page (@SanjuSamsonFP)
– Ended Ishan's career to open in ODI
– Ended Jaiswal's career to open in T20
– Forced Virat retire from test to play at 4
– Ended Rohit's captaincy career
– Ended Sanju Samson opening carrerJust to choke in every crucial match, Prince Shubman Gill for you
— ADITYA (@Wxtreme10)
The T20 World Cup is just around the corner, and as always, the politics against Sanju Samson have begun.
I will never forgive Gill for robbing the place of Sanju Samson in the Indian Team🥲
— The Brevis (@Ben10Brevis)
🤯 **Sanju Samson benched for the 1st T20I vs SA? Seriously?**
With the T20 World Cup approaching, how can India ignore a player in this form, just for 'flexibility'?
SMAT 2025 Campaign Highlights:
✅ **233 Runs @ 58.25 Avg** (Across 6 games)
🔥 Scores of **73* (56), 51*…— Dipankar (@DipankarRish)
🚨 POLITICS WINS CRICKET LOST 🚨
Politician Gautam Gambhir and Vacation Man Ajit Agarkar have successfully destroyed Sanju Samson career
– First, they removed Sanju from opening
– Then, they dropped him,& next series they’ll remove him from the squad too— Mr Stranger (@mrstranger005)
I was waiting all day to watch Sanju Samson bat in the evening.
God is watching everything Gautam Gambhir and Surya Kumar Yadav.
— Dhruv Thakur (@Dhruv_Thakur___)
Shubman Gill hasn’t even crossed 50 in 13 innings this year.
You can buy sell-out journalists like and run all the negative PR you want on underprivileged like Sanju Samson who scored the most hundreds in a calendar year but that doesn’t score runs for you.
— Anurag™ (@Samsoncentral)
Whenever I see Sanju Samson dropped under Gautam Gambhir’s coaching, my brain instantly flashes back to all those tweets he posted. 🫣
— Vipin Tiwari (@Vipintiwari952)
Justice for Sanju Samson, he’s not playing today
— Chinmay Shah (@chinmayshah28)
Gautam Gambhir dropped Sanju Samson for this failed T20 Player Shubhman Gill 🤣🤣🤣
— ` (@Itz_Bl3ze)
-Won CEAT Men’s T20I Batter of the Year few months back.
-WC coming up and still not in the XI.If your name is Sanju Samson, this is very normal.
God is watching
— Anurag™ (@Samsoncentral)
No Sanju Samson in playing 11 for today match can't imagine Shubman Gill and Jitesh Sharma is playing ahead of Sanju Samson.
Shame on you Hong Kong Yadav and Gautam Gambhir.
— Dhruv Thakur (@Dhruv_Thakur___)
Sanju has 3 hundreds in 10 innings as opener🔥
Gill has 0 fifties in 13 innings 💩Favoritism so loud even the scorecard is embarrassed.��
Sanju Samson >>>>>>>>>>> Shubman Gill
— 𝙇𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙮 (@luckycsk7)
SKY and Shubman Gill have been failing in T20i for ages.They even struggled throughout the Asia Cup and its final. Yet it took only one bad game to drop Sanju Samson. SKY has at least performed for India in the past, but Gill is becoming the new Pant in T20Is.
— JJ (@JJhuMaybe)
Dropped Sanju Samson after he joined CSK, you can't convince me he doesn't hate CSK players.
— ` (@Itz_Bl3ze)
Also READ: IND vs SA: 3 Indian players who can trouble South Africa in the T20I series
