This Is Why Selectors Had To Drop Sanju Samson From T20I Squad
Published - 23 Nov 2019, 11:25 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:02 AM
Sanju Samson’s exclusion from India’s T20I squad for the upcoming series against West Indies raised a lot of eyebrows and rightly so. The Kerala star was a part of the last T20I series against Bangladesh but had not got a single chance to prove himself. It was his first recall from the national selectors since he was dropped from the team in 2015.
But much to everyone’s surprise, the selectors decided to give up on Sanju Samson at least for the time being without even giving him a chance. Sanju Samson had earned that call after his consistent performances in domestic circuit including a double-century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Also Read: Fans Call For Boycott Of Thiruvananthapuram T20I After Sanju Samson’s Axing From T20I Squad
Reason behind dropping Sanju Samson revealed:
The national selection panel reportedly wanted to keep Sanju Samson in the squad for the upcoming series. However, they had to drop him for two reasons – Rishabh Pant and Virat Kohli. According to Mumbai Mirror, the selectors had no other option but to drop the batsman in order to make room for both Pant and Kohli.
Kohli was rested for the series against Bangladesh and it had opened the doors for Samson. The Kerala star was picked in the team primarily as a batsman. He was expected to bat in the middle-order in absence of Kohli but the team-management decided against it. Kohli’s return meant the selectors had to drop one batsman. They had to choose one between Manish Pandey and Samson and they went for the former.
On the other hand, Pant has got another chance to prove himself. The selectors have made it clear that they would back Pant and have thus picked him again despite his poor performances in recent times. The Delhi youngster has played every white-ball game since World Cup 2019 but has not really managed to make a big impression. Unsurprisingly, he has been drawing criticism from all around.
