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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) on Saturday, January 18 announced India’s 15-member preliminary squad for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, set to be played in February-March in Pakistan and the UAE. In a surprising turn of events, wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson was omitted from the side, including the likes of Karun Nair.
Samson’s exclusion sparked heated discussions, adding to the controvesy which came after after he missed Vijay Hazare Trophy camp. The latest to speak on this matter was Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) President Jayesh George, who revealed that Samson skipped the tournament’s preparatory camp, sending only a brief message to the association.
KCA has a policy in place that needs to be respected: Jayesh George
However, reports reveal that Sanju Samson’s exclusion from the Champions Trophy squad comes after his ongoing fiasco with the KCA over skipping the preparatory camp, Jayesh George revealed his side of the story. “I am not sure if Samson missing the tournament was the reason he was excluded. The reason he was not added in the Vijay Hazare squad was because he sent a one-line text saying he would not be available for the 30-member preparatory camp. We were all of the impression that he would be leading the team since he is our white-ball captain and had led in the SMAT season as well,” he told MediaOne.
“So we went ahead and announced the squad and later he sent a message stating he is available for selection. Be it Sanju Samson or any other player, KCA has a policy in place that needs to be respected. We all know that Sanju does not need a camp to come into the squad, but is the Kerala team one that he can come and represent only when he feels like? How did Samson reach the Indian team? It was only through KCA. That doesn’t mean you turn up only when you feel like for the Kerala team,” George further added.
It is to be noted that Samson last represented India in the T20I series against South Africa in November last year. During the SA T20I series, Samson scored two centuries. However, the 30-year-old has been named in the T20I squad for the five-match series against England, kickstarting from January 22.
India’s T20I squad for England series
Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel (vc), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wk).