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Sanzhou Samsonof India is missing 15-man squad for 2025 Champions Trophy It sparked a heated debate in the cricketing world. Despite being in great form, he has hit three centuries in the last five innings of T20Is and scored big in recent ODIs South Africa In December 2024, Samson found himself ignored by voters.
Shashi Tharoor criticizes KCA for mismanagement
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor publicly criticized Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) They mishandled Samson’s case, blaming their rigid policies for his exclusion. Samson informed KCA in advance that he would not be able to participate in the preliminary camp before team selection. However, the KCA made it mandatory for players to attend these camps, which resulted in Samson being left out of the team. Tharoor pointed out that Samson was left out of the team mainly because of his absence Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024,Kerala failed to reach the quarter-finals.
“Sad story of the Kerala Cricket Association and Sanju Samson – the player wrote to the KCA in advance expressing his regret that he would not be able to participate in the training camp between the SMA and the Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament and was immediately dropped from the team – which has now happened, resulting in Sanju being left out of the Indian team.” Tharoor wrote on social media
Tharoor highlighted how the KCA’s short-sighted and rigid approach led to the decline of cricket in Kerala and Samson’s exclusion from important ODI tournaments. Tharoor raised a pertinent question, asking whether it was fair for the Korean Football Association to punish a player like Samson over an administrative disagreement.
“A batsman who scored highest scores of 212* with Hazare and averaged 56.66 in ODIs for India (including a century in his last outing against South Africa) has had his career plateaued. Won’t the KCA bosses ensure that Kerala doesn’t even reach the quarter-finals of Hazare by excluding Sanju?” Tharoor concluded.
The unfortunate saga of the Kerala Cricket Association and Sanju Samson – the player wrote to the KCA in advance to express regret over his inability to participate in the training camp between the SMA and the Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament and was summarily dropped from the team – —has now resulted in…
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 18, 2025
Also read: Ajit Agarkar reveals why Mohammed Siraj was not selected for 2025 Champions Trophy
Sanju Samson’s recent status and achievements
Samson, who has captained Kerala in various domestic tournaments, has been in incredible form of late. he leads kerala Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024his team won four of six games but narrowly missed advancing to the knockout rounds. Samson also scored two centuries during India’s T20I tour of South Africa in November 2024, which showed that his form in the shortest format remains formidable.
His consistent performances in ODIs and T20Is put him on the selectors’ radar, but his absence from the Vijay Hazare Trophy ultimately cost him a chance to make the Champions Trophy squad. Despite his stellar record, including a century against South Africa in the last ODI and stellar performances in domestic events, the management is leaning towards opting for Rishabh who will perform well in the 2024 T20 World Cup Pant, not Samson.
Samson’s future in Team India
While Samson remains a part of the India T20I squad Upcoming five-match series against EnglandHis absence from the Champions League, which started in Kolkata on January 22, underlines the precarious situation in which he finds himself. His absence from the Vijay Hazare Trophy has now become a key factor in his exclusion and unless the KCA cancels, his fate in future ODIs remains uncertain. Fix the problem and give him a fair chance to perform.
