Washington Sundar and Sanju Samson were seen enjoying a rainy evening stroll in Tokyo, ahead of India's historic first-ever T20 International against Japan in Sano on Tuesday.
Following a disappointing performance against Afghanistan, Sanju Samson's inconsistent form has once again put his place in India's T20I squad under intense scrutiny.
A cricketer or sportsman must accept that there is no guarantee in sport -- only opportunities, preparation and perseverance, points out K R Nayar.
S Sreesanth and Sanju Samson ignore each other at the Kerala Cricket League 2026 awards ceremony.
Sanju Samson has been appointed Brand Ambassador of Jan Kaushal Kendra, Moti Nagar, with Delhi CM Rekha Gupta highlighting his connection with the capital and role inspiring youth.
Former India batter Wasim Jaffer has expressed doubts about Sanju Samson's suitability as a backup opener for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2027, citing consistency issues in ODI cricket.
India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson admits that external criticism affects him, but he has developed the maturity and experience to manage it, while also supporting the team's leadership for making difficult selection decisions in the best interest of the squad.
'Sanju Samson is back to his normal stuff of being an inconsistent batter.'
At 31, it would be too early and unwise to phase out a special talent like Sanju Samson, who despite the odd blip appears to be enjoying the best phase of his India career.
Sanju Samson reveals Virat Kohli's advice on fitness, discipline and lifestyle, while explaining why he quit cricket's 'rat race' before becoming India's T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament.
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has criticised the team management's decision to drop T20 World Cup hero Sanju Samson for the second T20 against England, calling it "bizarre" despite the debut of teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi. India lost the match, trailing 0-1 in the five-match series.
Sanju Samson, a key player in India's T20 World Cup triumph, recounts how his early cricket aspirations in Delhi were nearly thwarted by the Delhi & District Cricket Association. His father's decisive move to shift the family to Kerala proved to be a life-changing moment, enabling Samson to pursue his dream and eventually achieve national recognition.
Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has surpassed 2,000 international runs, achieving the milestone with an explosive 57 off 22 balls against Afghanistan at Arun Jaitley Stadium. This performance marks a significant return to form for Samson, who has also had a stellar year in T20Is, including a 'Player of the Tournament' award in the T20 World Cup.
Sanju Samson described his move from Rajasthan Royals to Chennai Super Kings as a 'huge risk' but credited MS Dhoni's subtle yet impactful advice and the team management's unwavering support for helping him overcome a difficult start to the IPL 2026 season and rediscover his form.
Delhi Police arrested Sanju Mishra alias Tuntun Mishra from Ranchi, Jharkhand, in connection with a financial cheating case. Mishra, who runs a power tools business, is accused of fraud involving his business partner, Anup Garg. An FIR was registered in Delhi, and his bail plea was rejected by the Delhi High Court. Police are investigating his bank accounts and the fraud's modus operandi.
'He played himself in and he started hammering the balls only later. If he keeps on doing that, I don't think he'll ever fail.'
Sanju Samson has been dropped from the Indian T20I squad for the upcoming series against Zimbabwe, making way for Punjab Kings' wicketkeeper-batter Prabhsimran Singh.
Sanju Samson's biggest opponent isn't the opposition, it's the selection committee. Samson has never been given a long rope; all he receives is a thin thread.
Former India cricketer Vivek Razdan has shared his preferred batting lineup for India's first T20I against Afghanistan, advocating for Shreyas Iyer to retain his number four spot and Sanju Samson to open the innings. Razdan emphasized performance over the left-right batting combination, highlighting Samson's recent T20 form. The series opener will also see a selection dilemma with multiple openers available and marks Iyer's first home series as captain.
Opening batter Abhishek Sharma blasted a record-shattering 30-ball century, powering India to a massive 221-7 and sparking a total bowling collapse that sealed a 127-run series sweep against Afghanistan.
India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson drew parallels between cricket and tennis legends, comparing MS Dhoni to Roger Federer and Virat Kohli to Carlos Alcaraz. He also reflected on India's recent T20 World Cup victory, crediting the women's team for inspiring the men, and discussed the challenge posed by Australia. Former tennis player Rohan Bopanna shared his Wimbledon predictions and memories.
Abhishek Sharma etched his name in cricket history by smashing the fastest T20 International hundred by an Indian, a blistering 30-ball century against Afghanistan before the hosts won the match by 127 runs to sweep the series.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir revealed that dropping Sanju Samson from the England tour was his toughest decision, despite Samson being the Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup. Gambhir explained that while Samson was temporarily replaced by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, the team prioritised returning to their established World Cup-winning combination. He also addressed the issue of player injuries and the challenge of Shubman Gill not having a full-strength team, emphasising the importance of long-term performance and providing opportunities for new talent.
Head coach Gautam Gambhir has clarified that young batting prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will need to wait for his T20I debut, prioritising consistent performers like Sanju Samson. Gambhir also addressed the impact of the Asian Games on the ODI squad selection for the upcoming West Indies series, highlighting opportunities for new talent.
India is grappling with significant selection dilemmas ahead of their opening T20I match against Afghanistan, particularly concerning the choice between Sanju Samson and young Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and the potential impact of Ishan Kishan's injury scare. The series also serves as crucial preparation for the Asian Games, with India needing to finalise their bowling attack against a strong Afghan side.
It remains to be seen if India will fall back on Sanju Samson to revive their sagging fortunes with a revamped batting order in the must-win fourth T20 International in Bristol on Thursday.
Sanju Samson smashed a quick 57 as India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match T20I series.
Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya has lauded Indian teen cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, calling him a 'different kind of talent' and the 'future for India', despite his recent exclusion from the playing XI against Afghanistan.
'A warm meeting with Hon'ble Home Minister Shri @AmitShahji. Grateful for his time and guidance. Wishing him continued good health and well-being.'
Indian cricket fans and former players questioned India's decision to leave Vaibhav Sooryavanshi out of the XI for the second T20I against Afghanistan.
As India A face Australia A in a crucial four-day match, attention centers on left-handers Devdutt Padikkal and Sai Sudharsan competing for top-order positions ahead of major Test series.
Yash Thakur replaces injured Harshit Rana in India's T20I squad for the Afghanistan series and Asian Games. Jasprit Bumrah, Nitish Reddy, and Washington Sundar have been cleared for both assignments after recovering from injuries. India's T20I series against Afghanistan begins September 13, followed by the Asian Games campaign starting September 28.
India is set to face Afghanistan in the second T20I, aiming to clinch the series despite ongoing concerns about a reliable fifth bowling option in the absence of Hardik Pandya. The team delivered a dominant performance in the first match, securing a seven-wicket victory.
Shreyas Iyer, India's T20I captain, described his initial stint as skipper as a 'tough pill to swallow' after suffering away series defeats, but emphasised the importance of maintaining 'equilibrium' following a dominant 2-0 series win over Afghanistan.
Sony Sports Network has secured exclusive television broadcast rights for the upcoming three-match T20I series between India and Afghanistan, scheduled from September 13 to 17 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi. The series will feature India led by Shreyas Iyer and Afghanistan led by Ibrahim Zadran, with both teams showcasing aggressive T20 cricket. This acquisition strengthens Sony's sports portfolio and offers a platform for Afghanistan to demonstrate its talent against a top-tier team.
India, having already secured the T20 series against Afghanistan, is likely to experiment with its playing XI in the third and final match in New Delhi. This provides an opportunity for players like Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and others on the bench to get game time before the Asian Games, while Afghanistan aims for an improved performance to boost morale.
Kris Srikkanth questioned whether India's star-studded Afghanistan squad was picked out of fear after recent defeats, arguing the series offered an ideal chance to blood promising youngsters.
Sonal Dinusha was named ICC Men's Player of the Month after tormenting India with 420 runs at 140, including three centuries, across Sri Lanka's two-Test series.
Hardik Pandya and Rishabh Pant were not picked in Indian team for the upcoming ODI series against the West Indies, while Ruturaj Gaikwad made a return to the one-day team.
'While she was particularly attached to Sanju, she'd spew expletives at him, and hit him with chappals when he misbehaved.' 'She'd even beat me when I was rude to my elder sister Namrata.' 'Today you can't whack your child, but we have grown up with two-three whacks a day.'
