'Booted out after just 3 games is simply ridiculous' - Dodda Ganesh fumes after Sanju Samson's exclusion from ZIM vs IND 2026 T20Is

Sanju Samson lost his place in India's playing XI during the second T20I between India and England last week, as he was replaced by the 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. On Monday, July 6, he was dropped from India's squad for the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe. Punjab's Prabhsimran Singh was named as his replacement, being the backup wicketkeeper to Ishan Kishan.

India play three T20Is against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club later this month. The first T20I is scheduled to be held on July 23.

There was a lot of outside noise regarding Samson's place in the side after he was dismissed cheaply in the two T20Is against Ireland last month and the series opener against England last week. This was despite his stellar performances in the T20 World Cup earlier this year, where he won the Player of the Tournament award and helped India retain the coveted title.

Former India pacer Dodda Ganesh empathised with the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter and mentioned that he deserved better after his significant contributions during the T20 World Cup.

"Sanju Samson has every reason to feel hard done by. The batter who helped India win its third T20 WC being booted out after just 3 games is simply ridiculous. He deserved better treatment," Ganesh posted on his official 'X' (formerly Twitter) handle.

Several fans and experts wanted Vaibhav Sooryavanshi to make his debut in India's ongoing tour of the United Kingdom. In the second T20I, the Men in Blue left out Samson and handed Sooryavanshi his debut cap. However, the left-handed batter could only manage 14 runs off 10 balls. He, however, hit two gigantic sixes, one against Jofra Archer and the other against Josh Tongue.

England emerged victorious in the second T20I, as they chased down a 191-run target in 19 overs with four wickets to spare and took a 1-0 lead with three games left to play. The third T20I will be hosted at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, on Tuesday, July 7.