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Thiruvananthapuram MP Shashi Tharoor has strongly criticized the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) after Sanju Samson was left out of India’s 15-member squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
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Shashi Tharoor Slams KCA and BCCI
Taking to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Tharoor expressed his frustration over Samson’s exclusion, calling it a case of “career destruction by egos.”
“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 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMA) and the Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) tournaments, and was promptly dropped from the squad—has now resulted in Sanju’s exclusion from the Indian team,” Tharoor wrote.
The Congress MP further argued that Samson’s absence from Kerala’s squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy weakened the team, leading to their early exit from the tournament.
“A batsman who has a highest score of 212 in the Hazare Trophy*, 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?”
Sanju Samson vs. Rishabh Pant – The Numbers Game
Many fans and experts have questioned Samson’s exclusion, especially considering his impressive ODI numbers:
- Sanju Samson (ODIs): 510 runs in 16 matches, average 56.66, strike rate 99.60, 1 century, 3 fifties.
- Rishabh Pant (ODIs): 871 runs in 31 matches, average 33.50, strike rate 106.21, 1 century, 5 fifties.
Despite Samson’s superior ODI batting average, the selectors have favored Pant, citing his experience and versatility.
Why Was Sanju Samson Ignored?
One of the major reasons for Samson’s exclusion could be his absence from the Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s premier domestic 50-over tournament. His last List A (50-over) game came on December 21, 2023, against South Africa, raising concerns about his recent match fitness in the format.
Had he played in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, selectors might have had a stronger case to include him in the Champions Trophy squad.
What’s Next for Sanju Samson?
While Samson’s omission has sparked widespread debate, he remains in contention for future white-ball tournaments, particularly with India’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign on the horizon. However, his immediate challenge will be to prove his worth in the upcoming IPL season and domestic cricket.
For now, his Champions Trophy 2025 dreams have been crushed, but the debate over his exclusion is far from over.
