New Delhi [India], January 18 (ANI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday blamed the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) for Sanju Samson’s exclusion from Team India’s squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy 2025.
In December 2024, Samson was left out of Kerala’s squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 after he failed to participate in the preparatory camp before the tournament, as reported by ESPNcricinfo.
Taking to X, Tharoor attacked KCA and said that the state cricket board dropped Samson from their squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy which resulted in Sanju’s exclusion.
The four-time MP from Thiruvananthapuram added that because of the “egos” of cricket administrators in KCA, Samson’s career has been “destroyed”.
“The sorry saga of the Kerala Cricket Association and Sanju Samson — the player wrote to KCA, in advance, regretting his inability to attend a training camp between the SMA and the Vijay Hazare Trophy tournaments, and was promptly dropped from the squad — has now resulted in Sanju’s exclusion from the Indian team,” Tharoor wrote on X.
“A batsman who has a highest score of 212* in the 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. Doesn’t it bother the KCA bosses that by leaving Sanju out, they ensured Kerala didn’t even reach the quarter-finals of the Hazare? Where does this leave him?” he further added.
https://x.com/ShashiTharoor/status/1880588056010657798
Earlier, Samson led Kerala in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024-25, where his team narrowly missed out on qualifying for the knockouts. Kerala won four of six matches in the tournament.
According to ESPNcricinfo, Samson had written to the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA), where he stated the reason behind his unavailability for the camp. However, KCA stuck to their rule of only including players who have taken part in the preparatory camp.
Batter Salman Nizar led the Kerala squad in the 50-over domestic tournament after Sachin Baby was ruled out of the tournament as he suffered an injury during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Meanwhile, a new challenge awaits Team India in the ICC Champions Trophy, starting from February 19 till March 9. It will be hosted by Pakistan and UAE, with India playing its matches in UAE under a hybrid model.
The eight-team tournament will feature 15 fifty-over matches and will be played across Pakistan and in Dubai.
The biggest match of the tournament between two arch-rivals India and Pakistan will be played on February 23. India will start its campaign against Bangladesh on February 20. India’s last league match will be against New Zealand on March 2. The Rohit Sharma-led side will play all their matches in Dubai.
India announced its squad for the ICC event today. The Rohit Sharma-led side will feature the likes of Virat Kohli, Hardik Pandya, and Shubhman Gill as his deputy. Mohammed Shami and Rishabh Pant marked their return to the side, while Mohammed Siraj missed out.
India squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja. (ANI)
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