'He must be experiencing mental battles' - R Ashwin raises concerns over handling of Sanju Samson in recent months

Sanju Samson's recent journey in international cricket has drawn scrutiny from senior players over the manner in which the batter has been handled by the selection committee. The wicketkeeper-batter's experience highlights the challenges faced by players navigating inconsistent selection decisions despite strong performances in major tournaments.

R Ashwin, the off-spinner, has articulated concerns about the mental toll of Samson's situation. Ashwin explained the difficult position Samson finds himself in following his standout World Cup performance and subsequent selection changes.

"If you are Samson, won't you feel that you did brilliantly in the World Cup and then in Ireland all the batters struggled. Then he failed one game in England and got dropped. He must be experiencing difficult mental battles and wondering why no one understands his position. His journey hasn't been easy, considering he started in 2014," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.

Ashwin highlights Samson's mental challenges from inconsistent selection

Samson's international career began in 2014, spanning over a decade of representation for India. His recent performances have shown both exceptional form and periods of struggle, creating a narrative of inconsistency that has affected his selection status.

Ashwin further elaborated on the pressure surrounding Samson's position and the public perception of his performances. The off-spinner highlighted how external commentary compounds the mental challenges faced by players in such situations.

"When he plays well, people give the feeling of saying, 'I told you so that time itself'. Yet, when he fails, they'll say he never plays well and is inconsistent so they put pressure on him. You are never sure if the accusation from people is about Samson failing or about Vaibhav Sooryavanshi sitting out because of him playing. You wonder how it'll feel to be Sanju Samson," Ashwin added.

He was named Player of the Tournament after scoring 321 runs from five innings with an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37. Samson scored half-centuries in India's last three matches at the World Cup, earning Player of the Match performances against West Indies and England. India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs in the final on March 8 in Ahmedabad.

Following the World Cup success, Samson's selection became inconsistent. He entered the 2026 World Cup event following low scores in a five-match T20I series against New Zealand. Later, after three consecutive T20I failures, Samson was dropped and replaced by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the second T20I against England in July 2026. He was subsequently left out of the squad for the T20I series in Zimbabwe.

When Samson returned for the opening T20I against Afghanistan, he scored 10 runs off 8 deliveries, continuing his struggle for form. Ashwin's comments reflect the broader challenge of managing player confidence and selection consistency in international cricket.