Published: Mar 15, 2026, 12:21 PM (IST)
Edited: Mar 15, 2026, 12:21 PM (IST)
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has opened up about the big decision to bring Sanju Samson back into the playing XI during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. He said the move was all about attacking cricket and adding more explosiveness at the top, not about specific match-ups against spinners.
Gambhir stressed that Samson has the power to change games right in the powerplay.
“I know a lot of people will talk about how we wanted to break the three left-handers at the top, not at all. We just felt that we wanted to be more explosive because the ideology in the last one and a half years has been to go out there and be as explosive as we can be. The reason to bring in Sanju was not about managing the off-spinner from the other end. I believe that a quality batter will be good against any kind of bowler, whether it’s an off-spinner or a left-arm spinner. It was about whether we could get even more firepower at the top and be more aggressive in the first six overs,” Gambhir told JioStar.
Gambhir praised Samson’s talent and how his presence makes the batting even more dangerous.
“We know what Sanju can do, there was never any doubt about his talent and explosiveness. If he gets going, he can win you the game in the first six overs. Imagine having Abhishek, Sanju and Ishan as your top three, and then you have the likes of Surya, Hardik, Tilak, Shivam and Axar to follow. So, you can’t ask for anything more,” he said.
Gambhir shared how simple and casual the conversation was when he told Samson he was coming back into the team before the Zimbabwe match.
“I conveyed it to him in the gym. In fact, we were both training together and I just told him that you’ll be playing against Zimbabwe, and he said, ‘let it come.’ That’s the kind of casual conversation we have. It’s not like a head coach and player’s relationship. It’s a relationship where most of our one-on-one conversations happen during practice sessions,” he noted.
Gambhir also spoke about supporting young opener Abhishek Sharma even when he had a slow start in the tournament. He told Abhishek to stay fearless and not worry about scores or outside talk.
“I’ve had a worse experience than him in 2014 during the IPL, when I got three ducks in a row and then another in the fourth game as well. All I told him was that people will look at your scores and will talk about your form, but actually you are not out of form, you are just out of runs,” Gambhir opined.
“The only time you can judge your form is when you have played 20 to 30 balls in the middle, and he hasn’t even faced 20 balls yet. All I wanted him to do was go out there in the next game and be even more aggressive compared to what he was in the previous game,” he added.
Gambhir urged Abhishek to fully commit to his attacking game, no matter what anyone says.
“If you want to hit the first ball out of the ground, go and do it, and commit yourself to it 100 per cent because it really doesn’t matter what the world thinks about you. All that matters is what those 30 people in the dressing room think about you, and that is exactly what should matter to all the boys. There was no doubt whatsoever about Abhishek. For anyone, to be honest, in that dressing room, we always had faith and trust in everyone who was selected to represent the country in the T20 World Cup,” he concluded.
For all latest updates of T20 World Cup 2026 you can visit: https://www.cricketcountry.com/icc-mens-t20-world-cup-2026/
