'Why is it always Sanju who misses out?': Parthiv on batter being dropped to accommodate Vaibhav

New Delhi: Former Indian cricketer Parthiv Patel has weighed in on the ongoing debate regarding the selection of prodigal teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi over veteran batter Sanju Samson in the Indian T20 lineup. Patel stated that while fast-tracking the 15-year-old might feel right emotionally, dropping Samson defies cricketing logic.

Speaking on JioStar, Patel noted that while Samson's inconsistency has cost him in the past, his current omission from the squad is incredibly difficult to justify.

"Why is it always Sanju Samson who misses out? If you look at Sanju Samson's career over the last 11-12 years, the one question that has always followed him is consistency," Patel said.

"Either the player who isn't scoring quickly enough gets left out, or the one who has been inconsistent. You can't make decisions based on both emotion and logic. So emotionally, yes, it was the right call to give Vaibhav Sooryavanshi a chance.

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"But if you go purely by logic, then why has Sanju Samson been left out? So, I think this decision was taken emotionally," he added.

Context of the selection

The decision to call up the young Sooryavanshi came after Samson—who was named the Player of the Tournament in India's recent T20 World Cup campaign—suffered a dip in form, failing to score in three consecutive matches. However, the teenage prodigy has struggled to make considerable impact since his inclusion.

The team's overall performance has suffered as a result; India has already conceded a 0-3 series defeat to England, with the fifth and final T20 match set to take place on Saturday.

The perception dilemma

Patel further observed that public perception in Indian cricket often favors the players who find themselves on the sidelines.

"This is just how we are. Whenever someone isn't in the team, we automatically feel they're the one who would have done a better job. At the last T20 World Cup, Shreyas Iyer wasn't there, and everyone kept asking, 'Why isn't Shreyas Iyer in the team?'

"Now that he's back, people are saying Rajat Patidar should be in the side," he said. (PTI)