Sanju Samson to quit Kerala? Batter approached by rival state boards amid KCA fallout

The 30-year-old star wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson and the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) don't seem to be on good terms at the moment.

Amid the fallout between Sanju Samson and Kerala Cricket Association, two big state boards have approached the wicketkeeper-batsman and have shown interest in bringing him into their squad.

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What's happening between Sanju Samson and KCA?

Samson was one of the top contenders fighting for a spot in the India squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 as a wicketkeeper alongside Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Dhruv Jurel.

The Indian team management finalized KL Rahul as the first-choice wicketkeeper, and then there was a heated debate between Ajit Agarkar, Rohit Sharm, and Gautam Gambhir to pick between Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson.

Reportedly, the chief selector Agarkar and skipper Rohit wanted Pant in the squad and Gambhir voted for Samson. In the end, it was Pant who was picked and one of the reasons behind Samson's snub was him not playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Notably, Samson was not picked in the Kerala Vijay Hazare Trophy squad by KCA and the president Jayesh George said that they didn't pick Samson because he didn't attend the team’s three-day preparatory camp in Wayanad.

The KCA president also revealed that Samson sent them one-line text informing about his unavailability for the camp, but later confirmed his availability for the competition when the squad was already picked.

TNCA and RCA approach Sanju Samson

According to a report in TwentyFour News, several state boards have shown interest in bringing Samson to their team amid his issues with the Kerala Cricket Association.

Reportedly, Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and Rajasthan Cricket Association have approached Sanju Samson and want him to join their team.

🚨BREAKING NEWS

Sanju Samson has been approached by other state boards amid ongoing issues with the Kerala Cricket (KCA)

Reports suggest that Tamil Nadu Cricket Association & Rajasthan Cricket Association have approached Sanju and shown interest in bringing him into their squad pic.twitter.com/kZ5YGm6so2

— Sanju Samson Fans Page (@SanjuSamsonFP) January 20, 2025

Also, the star wicketkeeper-batsman has not been selected in the Kerala Ranji Trophy squad for the upcoming matches.

To exclude Sanju from the Kerala team was not a wise decision - P Balachandran

Former Kerala cricketers and association officials aren't happy with the stance of KCA and blasted the board for treating Samson poorly. Former state team coach P Balachandran asserted that the decision made by KCA was not a wise one.

“To exclude Sanju from the Kerala team was not a wise decision from the part of KCA,” he said, as quoted by The New Indian Express. "A player and an association should have a good rapport between them."

Meanwhile, the ex-Kerala skipper Sony Cheruvathur said that Samson is an international cricketer and attending a preparatory camp shouldn't be made mandatory for him.

“There is no requirement for an international player like Sanju to attend a preparatory camp. Sanju is a person who likes to get involved and contribute actively to the domestic team.

“Had Sanju been included, it would have been a great inspiration for the youngsters in the team as well. I don’t think a player like Virat Kohli would be practising in a normal camp to get a place in the Delhi team. Such things are ridiculous,” Sony said.