India head coach Gautam Gambhir has addressed the growing debate Sanju Samson‘Missing from the T20I squad, emphasizing that the wicketkeeper-batsman is still in the team’s plans despite being left out of the ongoing series in England. Samson’s omission has been one of the biggest talking points after India slumped to a 125-run defeat against England in the third T20I at Trent Bridge on Tuesday. The batsman and wicketkeeper, who was India’s best defense in the T20 World Cup, was ruled out of the second T20 match, did not feature in the third match and is on the verge of going to Zimbabwe. After India’s defeat, Gambhir revealed that he had already spoken to Samson about his role in the team, while he indicated that the discussions would be confidential. “The first thing is that regarding the clarity of Sanju Samson, he has been given this from my side. It is a discussion between the players and the head coach. This discussion does not come from outside,” said Gambhir. The Indian coach insisted that Samson’s contribution had not been overlooked but said the current form would continue to influence the selection process. “In the case of Sanju, we know very well what he has done in India has been amazing and sometimes you just look at the form of the players. There is no hard and fast rule that he cannot come back in this series.” Gambhir also defended India’s selection policy, saying that every player should continue to find their place in the national side. “International cricket is all about results, so whatever combination we feel is going to give us results, we play that combination and play the XI. I have always been a firm believer that everyone should get their place and freedom to play in India. “ India’s defeat at Trent Bridge was the biggest ever for a T20 international. Chasing 202, the visitors were bowled out for 76 in 11.4 overs after young opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi fell for 13. The fall gave England a 125-run victory and a 2-0 lead in the five-match series after the opening match. The result further compounded India’s woes on the road, with the reigning T20 world champions now having lost their last four T20Is following a 2-0 defeat in Ireland. Captain Shreyas Iyer he described the display as “brutal” and admitted that the team needed to “go back to the drawing board” after the heavy defeat.