Wasim Jaffer shares a cryptic post after Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma go missing from India's squads vs Sri Lanka

Former Indian opener Wasim Jaffer has expressed surprise over the exclusion of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma from India's ODI and T20I squads for the series against Sri Lanka. Wasim Jaffer shared a cryptic post on social media after the announcement of the squad for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour.

On Thursday, July 18, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee named the squad for the upcoming white-ball series in Sri Lanka. Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav will lead the team in ODIs and T20Is, respectively. Shubman Gill will serve as vice-captain in both formats in the upcoming tour.

Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, and Shivam Dube have retained their places in the T20I squad. In contrast, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Abhishek Sharma, Mukesh Kumar, and Avesh Khan did not make it into the T20I squad, despite their strong performances in the five-match series against Zimbabwe.

Surprised To Say The Least - Wasim Jaffer

Wasim Jaffer shared a photo of Sanjay Dutt and Abhishek Bachchan, indirectly highlighting the exclusion of Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma from the Indian ODI and T20I squads. Sanjay Dutt's name pointed to Sanju Samson, and Abhishek Bachchan's first name referenced Abhishek Sharma.

"Surprised to say the least. #SLvIND," Jaffer wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter)

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— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) J<!---->u<!---->l<!---->y<!----> <!---->1<!---->9<!---->,<!----> <!---->2<!---->0<!---->2<!---->4

Sanju Samson last played an ODI match against South Africa in Paarl in December 2023. The right-handed batter scored his first ODI century during that match, making 108 runs off 114 balls in the series decider. He helped the Men in Blue reach a competitive total of 296 runs, leading to a 78-run victory.

Abhishek Sharma scored a century off just 46 balls in the second match of the series against Zimbabwe. The left-handed batter amassed 124 runs in five matches at an impressive strike rate close to 174.64. Abhishek could have been a valuable backup opener, and he can contribute with useful spin bowling.

Sri Lanka Gearing Up to Host India in White-Ball Series

Sri Lanka is set to host India for a three-match series featuring both T20Is and ODIs. The first T20I match is scheduled for July 26, and the remaining two matches will be played on July 27 and July 29. The T20Is will be played at Pallekele International Stadium, while the ODIs will take place at R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo.

Both teams will start their series with new head coaches. Former opening batter Sanath Jayasuriya will serve as Sri Lanka's interim head coach, while former skipper Gautam Gambhir will begin his role as India's new head coach.

The Indian National Cricket Team last toured Sri Lanka for a bilateral white-ball series in July 2021. Veteran opener Shikhar Dhawan led the Indian team in both formats during that series. The Men in Blue secured the ODI series by a 2-1 margin, while the home team clinched the T20I series by the same margin.

Also read: "KL Rahul could probably have been"- Former Indian cricketer reacts to Shubman Gill's appointment as vice-captain