Exclusive: Gautam Gambhir And Co Cautioned Against Replacing Sanju Samson With Vaibhav Sooryavanshi
There has been considerable debate over who Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could potentially replace as India's new opening batter, with Sanju Samson often finding himself at the centre of those discussions.
- India defeated Afghanistan in a three-match T20I series in Delhi ahead of the Asian Games
- Ex-India captain Anjum Chopra stated that Sanju Samson should be allowed to play freely without any pressure
- "We should let Sanju Samson be. Playing for India always comes with pressure," said Anjum
India thrashed Afghanistan in the three-match T20I series in Delhi and signed off on a dominant note ahead of the upcoming Asian Games. However, throughout the series, one question continued to trouble fans and selectors alike: the absence of 15-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi from the playing XI. The batting prodigy, widely regarded for his fearless strokeplay, remained on the bench for all three matches as India persisted with Sanju Samson at the top of the order. After a disappointing outing in the opening game, Samson responded in emphatic fashion, registering back-to-back half-centuries in the next two matches.
There has been considerable debate over who Sooryavanshi could potentially replace as India's new opening batter, with Samson often finding himself at the centre of those discussions. Recently, former India opener Anjum Chopra spoke to NDTV on a range of topics related to Indian cricket and shared her views on the matter.
Q: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has taken the cricket world by storm. Do you think India should be patient with him instead of rushing him into a battle for places with established players like Sanju Samson?
Anjum Chopra: I think we should let Sanju Samson be. Playing for India always comes with pressure and competition, and every player understands that they need to keep performing. But no one likes to feel a constant question mark hanging over their place in the team. Sanju should be allowed to play freely. It's not about replacing one player with another every time a new talent emerges. All of them are India players and quality cricketers.
India is fortunate to have a deep talent pool, but every player deserves the space to perform. Just because a young player has arrived does not mean the players already in the system should suddenly lose their value.
Sooryavanshi is a great talent. He has already made it to the Indian setup and will remain in contention. But we should remember that players such as Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad and Rinku Singh have also worked hard and earned their opportunities.
Q: Rohit Sharma will be close to 40 by the time the next World Cup arrives. With retirement speculation growing, do you think he should continue until then?
Anjum Chopra: Ultimately, that decision belongs to the player. Every cricketer knows their own situation, whether they still have the desire, the freshness and the enthusiasm to continue.
Personally, I have always felt that players like MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma should just keep playing because they are such talented cricketers who make the game look beautiful with their presence and stroke play.
Of course, nobody can play forever and every player eventually has to make a decision. But it should always be driven by the player. Once they are convinced that the time is right, everything else will fall into place.
Q: India Women recently won the Asia Cup. What are your views on the team's performance? Are there areas where they could still improve?
Anjum Chopra: As a team, you're always looking to improve because there are 11 players in the side and not everyone can deliver their best performance all the time. There will always be areas where both the team and individual players can get better.
Having said that, if you look at India's domination in the Asia Cup, it is very heartening to see. It's wonderful that the girls won the championship and continued India's strong record in the tournament.
Q: The trophy presentation was surrounded by controversy. Do you think such incidents undermine the players' achievements?
Anjum Chopra: Whether it matters or not is a separate discussion, but of course a trophy has value. In any competitive field, whether it's cricket or the corporate world, winners are rewarded and recognized for their achievements.
However, such incidents do not affect a player's morale, the team's combination or anything substantial. Players focus on the process of winning matches and tournaments. Even if they don't physically get the trophy, they still remain Asia Cup champions. For players, the primary goal is to perform well, win matches and eventually win the tournament.
Q: Players like Shree Charani performed exceptionally well in the Asia Cup. What do you make of her rise?
Anjum Chopra: She is a very good player and I'm a big fan of hers. I really like the way she bowls, and over the last 15-16 months in international cricket she has developed remarkably.
A lot of talented players emerge, but performing consistently at the international level is what truly matters. Since making her India debut last year, she has delivered wherever she has gone. In England, she picked up 10 wickets and won the Player of the Series award. Then she returned for the World Cup and claimed 14 wickets there as well.
That kind of consistency reflects her preparation, practice and mindset throughout the year. While she was initially identified through the WPL, what she has done with the opportunities she received has been impressive.
She can bat, and I know she has improved her fielding too. When you see a player constantly striving to get better and contributing in every possible way, it's always encouraging. I'm very impressed with her and genuinely happy whenever she succeeds.
India Cricket Team
Sanju Samson