‘That conversation is between a head coach and a player’: Gautam Gambhir says Sanju Samson has been given clarity

Gambhir, however, insisted that Samson has been kept fully informed of the team management's plans. Unlike players in the past who have complained about a lack of communication, Samson knows exactly where he stands in India's current plans, despite getting replaced after scores of 5, 0 and 1 in his last three innings.

"The clarity that should have been given to Sanju Samson, he has got from me. And that conversation is between a head coach and a player. That contents of the conversation we will obviously not tell you about,” Gambhir said.

"As far as clarity goes, we are absolutely clear that Sanju… what he had done for India during the World Cup has been phenomenal, and sometimes you just have to look at the form as well of a certain player. And there is no hard and fast rule that he cannot make a comeback in this series.

"More importantly, ultimately international cricket is about results. Whatever we feel is the best combination to give us the results, we play that combination, we play that playing XI. That is what I've always been a big believer of: that everyone needs to earn their place. Everyone needs to earn the right to play for India," added Gambhir.

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