THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as fans are livid over the omission of Sanju Samson from India’s Champions Trophy squad, the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) seems to be striving to buck the popular sentiment.
Responding to the allegation that it was his absence from the Vijay Hazare Trophy -- the national 50-over championship -- that hurt Sanju’s ODI prospects, KCA president Jayesh George said the wicketkeeper-batter was not included in the Kerala squad as he did not attend the preparatory camp.
Speaking to a TV channel, Jayesh said Sanju sent a one-line text to inform the KCA that he was skipping the camp, without citing any reasons for doing so. Later, Sanju messaged that he was available for selection, the KCA president said.
“Be it Sanju or any other player, KCA has a policy which all need to honour. You cannot come and play for Kerala whenever you like,” Jayesh said.
The BCCI of late has been promoting domestic cricket and wants its international players to go through the grind. Sanju’s absence from the Vijay Hazare Trophy, sources said, had prompted the selectors to overlook him despite his recent stellar form.
In his last five T20I outings, the dashing batter has scored three centuries, while his ODI average too appears impressive, hovering above 56. Though, stat-wise, Sanju deserved a call up to the Champions Trophy team, it was his no-show in the Vijay Hazare Trophy that dented his chances.
Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor too had aired his angst over the snub.
Taking to X, he posted that the career of the 30-year-old is being 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 wrote.