Change in Asian Games 2026 India squad: BCCI could tweak Indian team as doubt looms over Sanju Samson's future - Report

Change in Asian Games 2026 India squad: BCCI could tweak Indian team as doubt looms over Sanju Samson’s future – Report originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• The BCCI could make last-minute changes to India‘s squad for the 2026 Asian Games.
• Doubt now looms over Sanju Samson’s place following his recent omission from the Zimbabwe tour.
• India appears to be prioritising teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as they move on from Samson.

BCCI could tweak Indian team as doubt looms over Sanju Samson’s future

India’s ruthless streak in reshaping their white-ball future shows no sign of relenting. Barely four months after conquering the world, the selectors have already moved on from two pillars of their triumphant campaign, captain Suryakumar Yadav and Player of the Tournament Sanju Samson.

Samson’s fall has been especially jarring. The wicketkeeper was recently omitted from the Zimbabwe T20I squad after a run of poor scores, and while chief selector Ajit Agarkar explained the Suryakumar call, Samson’s exclusion was left largely to interpretation, raising serious questions.

Now, that uncertainty has spread to another assignment. According to a Times of India report, the BCCI could yet tweak its squad for the 2026 Asian Games, a development that casts fresh doubt over whether Samson, currently named in the group, will retain his place.

MORE: How omission from India’s tour of ZIM could mark the end of Sanju’s international career

BCCI could tweak the Asian Games squad

The TOI report suggests the door is open for alterations to the previously announced squad. The BCCI is likely to approach the relevant authorities of the Asian Games to request changes, with the rules permitting them to do so, and exceptions can even be made to accommodate a player outside the initial long list.

The clamour to prioritise prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been central to the shake-up. A well-placed source told TOI, “How can you make him carry drinks? The whole argument of he will learn sounds so kiddish right now.”

The source doubled down on the need to unleash the teenager immediately in international cricket. “You don’t make him learn by carrying towels and drinks. You throw him in the deep end to swim when he is riding high on confidence,” they added, underlining the case that ultimately squeezed Samson out.

Adding to Samson’s concern is a wider trend against him. While the likes of Harshit Rana and Axar Patel also missed the Zimbabwe cut, Samson was pointedly the only specialist one-format player left out, leaving him uniquely exposed as India reshapes their T20I core.

MORE: Ranatunga claims T20 cricket has killed talents in subcontinent

A precarious future for Samson

The signs for Samson are undeniably alarming. To be dropped from one squad while his place in another comes under review points to a player rapidly slipping down the pecking order, with the emergence of Sooryavanshi and Prabhsimran Singh accelerating his fall.

There is a case that this treatment is harsh on a proven match-winner who delivered on the biggest stage. Yet in a ruthless, results-driven environment, Samson’s chronic inconsistency has finally caught up with him, and a road back into India’s plans looks increasingly steep.

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