Sanju Samson played one game in the T20I series against England. Why did Sanju Samson miss 1st ZIM vs IND T20I? Sanju Samson of India (Photo by Nikhil Patil/Getty Images)The reason behind Sanju Samson not playing the first T20I against Zimbabwe is that he was not selected in India’s 15-member squad for the tour. Why is Sanju Samson not playing the 1st T20I against Zimbabwe? Sanju Samson is not playing the first T20I against Zimbabwe because he was not selected in India’s 15-member squad for the tour.