Indian Wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson has been left out of the India squad yet again, as the Rajasthan Royals captain has been overlooked by the selectors for the five-match T20 series against Australia starting on Thursday.
Sanju Samson was meant to replace KL Rahul after he was injured in white-ball cricket. KL Rahul’s rise as a white-ball keeper, as well as the selection of Ishan Kishan as a second-choice keeper in white-ball sides, has provided a clear indication of the management’s thoughts on Samson’s future and the Kerala wicket-keeper batter was snubbed for the T20 series, as the selectors went with the likes of Jitesh Sharma and Ishan Kishan.
Sanju Samson didn’t make it into the Indian team for the five-match T20 series against Australia, despite the team management choosing to rest their star players for the series. Samson’s exclusion has invited tremendous criticism on social media, as the Kerala batter was ignored by the selection committee.
However, according to a BCCI source, Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar spoke with Sanju Samson in Mumbai and requested that the Kerala cricketer improve his fitness and another source said that he is very much in the scheme of things.
“Not 100 percent, he is 200 percent in the scheme of things,” A BCCI source said
Primary Indian spinner Yuzvendra Chahal was another notable absence in the game. Both Samson and Chahal were left out of the ODI World Cup and Asian Games squads. Former cricketers have begun to express their doubts and concerns about whether both of these players are still in the BCCI’s plans for the future.
Sanju Samson usually bats at the top of the order in IPL and domestic cricket but is largely seen as a finisher in the Indian ODI team. Samson has done a good job for India finishing the games in the 50-over format but currently is not part of the team plans going into the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Team India has opted to rest the Indian senior players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and Ravindra Jadeja for the T20 series against Australia as they want to give the opportunity to young players to play in the high-pressure situation to get them ready for the marquee event in West Indies and USA.
