India head coach Gautam Gambhir defended the decision to drop Sanju Samson from the playing XI, saying the wicketkeeper-batter had been given complete clarity about his role in the T20I setup and that team selection was based on current form rather than reputation.
Samson, who failed to fire in the two T20Is against Ireland as well as the opening T20I against England, was dropped in favour of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who has also struggled to make an impact. However, Gambhir insisted there was no ambiguity over Samson's place in the squad and said the communication between them would remain private.
"The first thing is that regarding the clarity Sanju Samson needed, he has been given that from my side. That's a conversation strictly between the player and the head coach. That conversation is not going to come outside," Gambhir said at the press conference on Tuesday.
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"Regarding Sanju, we are very clear. What he has done for India has been phenomenal, and sometimes you just have to look at the form of a certain player. There is no hard and fast rule that he cannot make a comeback in this series," he added.
Gambhir said international cricket is about finding the right team combination rather than individual players. He explained that Sooryavanshi was picked because the team management believed he and Abhishek Sharma formed the best opening combination.
"International cricket is about results, so whatever we feel is the best combination to give us that result, we play that combination and that playing XI. I've always been a big believer that everyone needs to earn their place and the right to play for India," Gambhir said.
The India coach also acknowledged that the team's struggles have extended beyond individual players, pointing to their performances against both Ireland and England.
"Regarding adaptability, obviously we haven't adapted well. That's the reality, be it Ireland or England. If we had adapted well or played better cricket, we probably would not have lost four games in a row," he said.
India trail the five-match T20I series against England 0-2.
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