Former Indian batter Hanuma Vihari is not happy with the way the team management is selecting players. Citing the example of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, Vihari believes that different players are being judged by different standards, and that is unfair.
Vihari pointed out that Samson was dropped after a few poor matches, but Abhishek has continued to get chances despite struggling to score runs for a long time now in the Indian T20I side. Amid this, Ex-India opener questions India’s treatment of Sanju Samson.
Hanuma Vihari questions Team India’s selection policy
Sanju Samson was dropped from India’s T20I squad for the ongoing T20I series in Zimbabwe after his failures in England. However, the national selectors said that the Kerala star was just rested for the ongoing three-match T20I series in Zimbabwe.
However, Hanuma Vihari was not convinced with the justification, as he pointed out that Samson proved himself after returning to the team. He noted that the right-handed batter played a key role in helping India win the 2026 T20 World Cup and finished as the Player of the Tournament.
The former Indian batter also pointed out how Abhishek Sharma has been inconsistent and has managed only three fifties in his last 18 T20I innings. His recent scores of 49, 0, 59, 43, 10, 16, 3, 1, and 8 show that the young opener has been struggling for form. Amid this, Wasim Jaffer reveals the secret behind Ishan Kishan’s transformation.
Hanuma Vihari feels sorry for Sanju Samson as he highlights Abhishek Sharma’s poor form under spotlight
Hanuma Vihari said in a video on his YouTube channel: “Before the World Cup, Sanju Samson did not perform in five games and lost his spot in the starting 11. He then made a comeback and became Player of the Tournament. In that same tournament, how many runs did Abhishek Sharma make? In the UK series, apart from one fifty, there were no scores at all. Not even in their 20s and 30s, no significant score. One fifty in the last eight matches. If you include the World Cup, three half-centuries in the last 18 matches.”
The former batter further added, “How many matches Samson played in the World Cup? Three. And fifties in all three. Abhishek Sharma’s highest score in the five matches is 16. Why is no one talking about it? When it comes to Samson, they say he is inconsistent. Fair enough. But he can win high-pressure matches on his day. Abhishek is a player with a lot of hype, but Samson is also equal. He has also performed in the IPL. Why different rules for different players?”
Vihari calls for fairness in India selections
Vihari made it clear that he has nothing against Abhishek Sharma. He said his only concern is that every player should be treated equally and selected only on the basis of performances.
He noted that Abhishek Sharma has been constantly getting the chances despite his performance not being up to the mark. The former Indian batter admitted that he can win matches on his day, but there are many players who can do that, and even if Prabhsimran Singh plays 10 games, he can also score a couple of fifties.
