India head coach Gautam Gambhir has revealed that dropping Sanju Samson from the T20I side was the toughest selection call of his coaching tenure. The decision became even more difficult because of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s outstanding form, leaving Gambhir with what he described as the only sleepless night of his two-year coaching career.

Speaking to JioStar ahead of India’s upcoming home season, Gautam Gambhir said he had a candid conversation with Samson before making the difficult call. Samson had been named Player of the Tournament at the 2026 T20 World Cup but was left out three matches later during India’s five-match T20I series against England.

At the same time, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was making a strong case for a place in the playing XI. The teenager had enjoyed a record-breaking IPL 2026 campaign and followed it with a century in the Under-19 World Cup final. He made his international debut in the second T20I of the England series but was dropped again for Samson after three promising yet low-scoring appearances.

“Probably that was, I’ll be honest with you, in two years of my journey, that was the only night I could not sleep,” Gautam Gambhir said. “And I told this to Sanju. Because I knew that it was probably the toughest decision in my coaching tenure in the T20 format. Someone who was player of the tournament, and then you have to leave him out after three or four games.”

ALSO READ: Sam Konstas Recalls Virat Kohli Shoulder Shrug Incident During Test Debut

Gautam Gambhir explained that Sooryavanshi’s form and India’s need for greater momentum at the top of the batting order influenced the decision. “I had a very, very honest conversation with him,” Gambhir said. “Vaibhav was in that kind of form, and we needed someone to score runs at the top; we needed that little bit of platform at the top as well. And he was fine with it.”

However, Gambhir’s selection philosophy also meant Sooryavanshi had to accept a similar decision when Samson returned to the XI. The youngster was left on the bench throughout India’s Afghanistan series, despite his impressive run of form.

“I made him understand that sometimes, I know you’re in good form, but sometimes, the players who have done well for a long time, you will have to wait for your opportunity,” Gautam Gambhir said. He also stressed that social media discussions and outside pressure would not determine India’s playing XI.

Gambhir acknowledged that selecting Sooryavanshi could mean another difficult conversation with either Samson or Abhishek Sharma. His comments underline the challenge of balancing current form with the performances of established players who have already delivered for India.

ALSO READ: Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Shares Doraemon-Themed Japan Post During Asian Games

Rather than presenting selection as a straightforward decision, Gambhir’s explanation offered an insight into the competing factors involved in India’s T20I combinations. The head coach also accepted that difficult calls are part of the job, particularly when several players are performing well and opportunities in the playing XI remain limited.