Gambhir says dropping Samson left him sleepless

India head coach Gautam Gambhir said the decision to drop Sanju Samson for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the England T20I series was the toughest of his tenure and left him unable to sleep. Samson had been Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup but was left out after the first match when India lost. Gambhir said he had an honest conversation with Samson about the need for a top-order platform.

The call was reversed when India returned home for the Afghanistan series and Samson returned to score consecutive fifties. Gambhir said outside noise does not decide the playing XI and that a combination which has delivered over time must be protected.

Sooryavanshi is now in the squad for the upcoming home series against the West Indies.