'Sanju is my first choice, he is your full-time obsession': Ashwin's cheeky reply to Samson's critic

Following India’s 3-2 T20I series victory against New Zealand, intense debate has surfaced over Sanju Samson’s form at the top of the order. Samson managed scores of 67, 14, 18, 4, and 4 across the five matches, triggering social media calls to replace him with 15-year-old batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who notched 4 and 45 in his two appearances.

Despite the scrutiny, Samson continues to hold the backing of the team management and former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin has consistently advocated for patience, maintaining that young talent like Sooryavanshi should be allowed to enjoy their cricket without immediate pressure. However, following Samson's early departure for 4 in the final T20I on Sunday, a social media user attempted to troll Ashwin by tagging him and writing: "Hello Ashwin, your first choice Sanju flopped throughout the entire series."

Ashwin shut down the rage-bait with a sharp, viral comeback in Hindi: "Sanju mera first-choice, tumhara full-time obsession" ("Sanju is my first choice, he's your full-time obsession.")

The veteran spinner's stance aligns with head coach Gautam Gambhir's philosophy of giving senior players a extended run in the T20I setup, especially alongside Abhishek Sharma after their pivotal role in India’s recent T20 World Cup defense.

Reflecting on the tour, head coach Gautam Gambhir lauded the team's "incredible" series win, emphasising how the squad overcame severe jet-lag, unfamiliar conditions, and minimal prep time—having arrived just two days before the opening fixture. Gambhir praised the players' ruthless mindset in clinching the first three games to seal the series early, noting that 70 to 80 percent of the T20 roster was touring New Zealand for the very first time.