&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Kris Srikkanth pinpoints India’s ‘unluckiest cricket’ in latest dig at head coach Gambhir")
Former BCCI chief selector and Indian opener Kris Srikkanth has taken another sly dig at the current Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir, days after Gambhir subtly warned him against targeting players and questioning team selections. Following Gambhir’s reply to Srikkanth’s accusation over ‘favourism’ within the Indian Team, the veteran batter returned with sarcasm while defending keeper-batter Sanju Samson's batting position in the T20I side. Although Samson remains an integral part of the T20 setup leading into the 2026 home World Cup, his demotion to the middle order or a lower middle order has irked fans and pundits.
Srikkanth didn’t mince his words in seeking answers from Gambhir over the unfair treatment of Samson as a T20I batter. From July 2024 until the start of this year’s Asia Cup, Samson rocked at the top for India, hitting three international centuries in this format. However, with Shubman Gill’s appointment as the new vice-captain and his return to the side at the top, the decision makers demoted Samson to the middle order, under-utilising him as a batter.
Also read | Massive blow to India as Iyer ruled out for remainder of 2025, doubtful for 2026 T20 WC – Report
Even in the continental tournament in the UAE, Samson batted at number five in three matches, while not getting a chance in one despite the team losing six wickets. Frustrated to see a talent like Samson being shuffled around like a newcomer, Srikkanth called him the unluckiest Indian cricketer.
“The guy who's most unlucky is Sanju Samson. He was scoring centuries as an opener. But now they send him everywhere — from No. 3 to No. 8. If given an opportunity, they may send him at No. 11 also! A person like Sanju will naturally feel bad after doing so well at the top, but he has no option but to be tight-lipped and bat wherever the team asks him to," Srikkanth said in his YouTube channel.
He, however, was happy with one thing: Sanju remains team management’s top choice for next year’s T20 World Cup, co-hosted by India and Sri Lanka.
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“The only good thing is he did well at No. 5 in the Asia Cup. It’s a good sign because Sanju is now the automatic choice as the first wicketkeeper for the T20 World Cup,” he said.
Meanwhile, in the recently concluded 1st T20I against Australia, which ended in a no-result, Samson was part of the playing XI but was slotted down the order to bat.
