An old tweet by former India cricketer and current head coach Gautam Gambhir has gone viral after Sanju Samson was left out of India's T20I squad for the upcoming three-match series against Zimbabwe. The post, made years before Gambhir took charge of the national team, has resurfaced amid renewed debate over Samson's exclusion.
"It's weird that the only playing eleven Sanju Samson doesn't find a place is that of India, rest almost everyone is ready for him with open arms," Gambhir had tweeted on September 22, 2020.
Gambhir, then was a commentator and cricket analyst, who was in awe after Samson had stroked a magnificent 74 off just 32 balls against CSK.
It has now become a talking point following Samson's latest omission from the national side. Fans have widely shared the tweet across social media, questioning the wicketkeeper-batter's absence.
Gambhir has repeatedly backed Samson over the years, often praising the wicketkeeper-batter's talent and questioning his inconsistent opportunities in the Indian team. His support for Samson has been well documented through television appearances and social media posts.
However, Samson was left out of the Zimbabwe series after managing modest scores in his last three T20I innings despite being one of India's standout performers during their T20 World Cup-winning campaign. The selectors instead handed another opportunity to teenage opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
The resurfaced tweet has triggered fresh debate online, with many fans highlighting the contrast between Gambhir's long-standing public support for Samson and the wicketkeeper's latest omission.
