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Sanju Samson‘s omission from India’s 15-man squad for him Champions Trophy 2025 has sparked significant debate within the cricket community. Despite being in sensational form, having scored three centuries in his last five T20I innings and registering a ton in his recent ODI outing against South Africa In December 2024, Samson was ignored by the selectors.
Shashi Tharoor slams KCA mismanagement
Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has publicly criticized the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) for mishandling Samson’s case, blaming his rigid policies for his exclusion. Samson informed KCA well in advance of his unavailability for a preparatory camp prior to team selection. However, the KCA enforced their rule that players must attend these camps, which led to Samson’s exclusion from the team. Tharoor noted that Samson’s omission from the team was mainly due to his absence from the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024where Kerala did not reach the quarterfinals.
“The unfortunate saga of the Kerala Cricket Association and Sanju Samson (the player wrote to KCA in advance, lamenting his inability to attend a training camp between the SMA tournaments and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and was promptly dropped from the team) now it’s over. resulted in Sanju’s exclusion from the Indian team,” Tharoor wrote on social media.
Tharoor highlighted how the KCA’s short-sightedness and rigid approach has now led to the decline of cricket in Kerala and Samson’s exclusion from a major ODI tournament. Tharoor raised pertinent questions, asking whether it was fair for KCA to penalize a player of Samson’s caliber for administrative differences.
“A batsman who has a highest score of 212* in Hazare, who averages 56.66 in ODIs for India (including a century in his last outing, against South Africa) is having his career destroyed by the egos of cricket administrators. Does it not bother the KCA bosses that by leaving out Sanju, they ensured that Kerala did not even reach the Hazare quarter-finals? Where does this leave you?” Tharoor concluded.
The sorry saga of the Kerala Cricket Association and Sanju Samson: The player wrote to KCA in advance, lamenting his inability to attend a training camp between the SMA tournaments and the Vijay Hazare Trophy, and was quickly dropped from the team. in…
-Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 18, 2025
Also READ: Ajit Agarkar reveals why Mohammed Siraj was not selected for Champions Trophy 2025
Sanju Samson’s recent form and achievements
Samson, who has captained Kerala in several domestic tournaments, has been in incredible form of late. He led Kerala in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024where his team won four of six games, but was about to qualify for the playoffs. Samson also scored two centuries during India’s T20I tour of South Africa in November 2024, proving that his form in the shortest format remains formidable.
His consistent performances in ODIs and T20Is have kept him on the selectors’ radar, but his lack of participation in the Vijay Hazare Trophy ultimately cost him a chance to make it to the Champions Trophy team. Despite his excellent record, including his century in the last ODI against South Africa and his outstanding performances in domestic tournaments, the management was inclined to select Rishabh Pant, who featured prominently in the 2024 T20 World Cup, instead of Samson.
Samson’s future with the Indian team
While Samson is still part of the Indian T20I team for the upcoming five-match series against Englandstarting on January 22 in Kolkata, his omission from the Champions Trophy highlights the precarious position he finds himself in. His absence from the Vijay Hazare Trophy has now become a crucial factor in his exclusion, and his fate in future ODIs remains uncertain unless the KCA resolves the situation and grants him a fair opportunity to perform.
