# Gambhir reveals sleepless night over dropping Sanju Samson

2026-09-23T14:32:34+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk

Corroboration: 3 independent outlets

Gautam Gambhir has said dropping Sanju Samson for Vaibhav Sooryavanshi during the T20I series against England was the toughest selection call of his coaching tenure, leaving him unable to sleep. Samson had been named Player of the Tournament in India's T20 World Cup win before being dropped after the opening T20I. Sooryavanshi made his debut in his place. Speaking to JioStar, Gambhir said he had an honest conversation with Samson, explaining that Sooryavanshi's form and the need for a strong start in the series drove the decision. Samson later returned for the series against Afghanistan and scored consecutive half-centuries. Sooryavanshi has been on the bench since. Gambhir said social media pressure does not decide the playing XI and that established combinations must be respected.

## Indian Opinion Analysis

The coverage uniformly reports Gambhir's own account of the selection dilemma, with no source challenging his narrative or seeking comment from Samson or Sooryavanshi. ABP Live and Times Now present the story as straight reportage, while NDTV Sports uses a more dramatic framing that questions Gambhir's exterior confidence. The balanced reading is that the decision was indeed difficult for Gambhir personally, but the longer-term impact on Samson's career or Sooryavanshi's development remains unexamined. The coming series against West Indies will test whether Gambhir sticks with the Samson-Abhishek opening pair or rotates Sooryavanshi in.

## Coverage

- news.abplive.com (neutral report) <https://news.abplive.com/sports/cricket/gautam-gambhir-emotional-revelation-sleepless-nights-over-vaibhav-sooryvanshi-samson-selection-1867987>
  Leads with Gambhir's quote and selection reasoning, no editorializing
- sports.ndtv.com (sensationalist) <https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/gautam-gambhirs-sleepless-night-involved-one-india-selection-call-it-involved-vaibhav-sooryavanshi-12086363#publisher=newsstand>
  Opens by framing Gambhir as outwardly assured but internally conflicted
- timesnownews.com (neutral report) <https://www.timesnownews.com/sports/cricket/gautam-gambhir-reveals-vaibhav-sooryavanshi-debut-gave-him-only-sleepless-night-of-tenure-told-this-to-sanju-samson-article-156210839>
  Straight reporting of Gambhir's statements, includes context on Samson's return

Tags: Gautam Gambhir, India cricket team, Sanju Samson, T20I, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
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