10 July,2026 05:26 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Sanju Samson, Parthiv Patel (Pic: File Pic)
Team India has suffered a loss in the fourth T20I match against England by nine wickets. During the match, Team India's batting line-up was visibly struggling, except for skipper Shreyas Iyer.
Following the loss, former Team India cricketer Parthiv Patel questioned the omission of wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson. He also said that the decision to include swashbuckling batsman Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in the playing 11 was made on the basis of emotion.
"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 on JioStar.
"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. But if you go purely by logic, then why has Sanju Samson been left out? So, I think this decision was taken emotionally," added Patel.
The former cricketer also spoke about the perception that the player left out of the team is always considered a better option than those who have been selected.
"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.
The fifth and final match between the teams will be played on Saturday at The Ageas Bowl in West End. The "Three Lions" have already clinched the series and will aim to continue their dominant run. On the other hand, the "Men in Blue" will look to end the series on a positive note. It will be interesting to see if Shreyas Iyer-led men manage to secure a victory in the fifth match.
(With PTI Inputs)
