Team India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson was again excluded from the playing XI for the fifth and final T20I of the series against Australia at The Gabba in Brisbane on Saturday, November 8. The Men in Blue are currently the series 2-1 and aiming to officially clinch the series with a win over Australia at The Gabba.

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Team India skipper Suryakumar Yadav lost the toss again as Australia captain Mitchell Marsh opted to bowl first in the final T20I of the ongoing series at the Gabba. India made only one change in their playing XI by bringing in Rinku Singh by replacing Tilak Varma, who was given a rest by the team management ahead of the must-win clash, keeping the rest of the lineup unchanged to maintain balance and momentum in the series decider.

With a five-match T20I series in India’s favour following a 48-run victory in the fourth match, the visitors will look to wrap up the white-ball tour of Australia on a high note by winning the final T20I, while Australia will aim to salvage pride and avoid a series defeat at The Gabba.

Samson Yet Again Ignored

After the second T20I of the ongoing series against Australia, Sanju Samson was dropped from the playing XI, and the team management replaced him with Jitesh Sharma for the next three matches, including the fifth and final T20I.

Ever since Samson was dropped down the order to accommodate T20I vice-captain Shubman Gill as an opener, Kerala cricketer has been struggling with his form, as he was unable to make a significant impact with the bat, scoring modest runs in the opportunities he got and failing to cement his place in the playing XI. Before the Asia Cup 2025, Samson played three Test series against Bangladesh, South Africa, and England as an opener.

As an opener, the 30-year-old has aggregated 417 runs, including three centuries, at an average of 34.75 in 13 matches. showcasing his ability to anchor the innings and provide solid starts for the team. After being dropped down the order, Sanju Samson could not replicate his consistent form at the top, struggling to score runs freely and make impactful contributions in the middle order.

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Since the Asia Cup T20, Sanju Samson has managed to score only 134 runs, including a fifty, at an average of 26.80 in nine matches, highlighting his recent struggles and raising questions about his role and position in India’s T20I setup.

‘Injustice’ to Sanju Samson?

After being excluded from the playing XI for the third match on the trot in the ongoing series against Australia, fans and cricket enthusiasts slammed the team management, especially head coach Gautam Gambhir, for what they termed ‘injustice, questioning the decision to repeatedly ignore Samson despite his proven T20 credentials.

Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), cricket enthusiasts slammed the team management’s decision to drop Sanju Samson from the opener to the middle order, despite his consistent performance at the top. While others criticized Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar for strategically finishing off Samson’s career by favouring Shubman Gill.

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Sanju Samson made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe in 2015, and since then, he has received limited opportunities before getting a longer rope since last year. In his T20I career, Samson has amassed 995 runs, including 3 centuries and as many fifties, at an average of 25.51 in 51 matches.