​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. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Key takeaways: The BCCI may implement last-minute adjustments to India’s squad for the 2026 Asian Games. Doubt now hovers over Sanju Samson’s place following his recent omission from the Zimbabwe tour. India seems to be prioritising teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi as they move forward from Samson. India’s ruthless approach to reshaping their white-ball future shows no signs of slowing. Barely four months after their global triumph, selectors have already moved on from two pillars of that success: captain Suryakumar Yadav and Player of the Tournament Sanju Samson. Samson’s decline has been particularly striking. The wicketkeeper was recently left out of 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 open to interpretation, raising serious questions. Now, that uncertainty extends to another assignment. A Times of India report suggests the BCCI could still alter its squad for the 2026 Asian Games, creating fresh doubt over whether Samson, who remains named in the group, will keep his place.
More: How omission from India’s tour of Zimbabwe could signal the end of Sanju’s international career. The TOI report indicates the door is open for changes to the previously announced squad. The BCCI is likely to approach the relevant Asian Games authorities to request modifications, with the rules permitting them to do so and exceptions potentially being made to accommodate a player outside the initial long list. The push to prioritise prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has been central to the proposed 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 emphasized 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, underscoring the case that ultimately squeezed Samson out.
Adding to Samson’s concerns is a broader trend against him. While Harshit Rana and Axar Patel also missed the Zimbabwe selection, Samson remained the only specialist one-format player left out, leaving him uniquely exposed as India reshapes their T20I core. The signs for Samson are undeniably troubling. Being dropped from one squad while his position in another is reviewed points to a player rapidly slipping down the pecking order, with the emergence of Sooryavanshi and Prabhsimran Singh accelerating his decline.