The omission of Sanju Samson from India’s playing eleven for the second T20 International against England at Old Trafford has ignited a fierce selection debate. Samson, who was crowned Player of the Tournament during India’s triumphant T20 World Cup 2026 campaign earlier this year, was dropped in Manchester following a brief lean spell of three single-figure scores across the tours of Ireland and England.<\/p>\n
His exclusion opened the door for a historic debut as 15-year-old batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi became India’s youngest-ever international cricketer<\/a>. While the teenager’s inclusion was widely celebrated, the decision to discard the established wicketkeeper-batsman entirely left former India cricketer turned commentator Sanjay Manjrekar completely flabbergasted.<\/p>\n Taking to social media to vent his frustration, Manjrekar questioned the tactical logic of the team management, initially hoping that a hidden physical ailment was the true cause behind the dynamic batsman’s sudden absence.<\/p>\n “Great to see Vaibhav in India colours,” Manjrekar posted on X. “But what about Samson! Dropped?? Are you kidding me! No, I guess, injured. Let’s hope it’s injury. Or it’s the most bizarre selection. Could have easily batted at 3 if you wanted to get Vaibhav in.”<\/p>\n Screengrab from X\n<\/p>\n Manjrekar’s bewilderment reflected a broader sentiment among pundits who felt Samson deserved a longer rope, especially given his recent World Cup heroics. Instead of substituting an in-form asset, critics argued that the team hierarchy could have easily accommodated Sooryavanshi at the top of the order whilst pushing Samson down to number three to maintain middle-order experience.<\/p>\n