T20 World Cup 2022: Sanju Samson Was Not In Contention And There Was Never Any Discussions On Dropping Rishabh Pant: BCCI Source

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced India’s 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 on Monday (September 12). 

Pacers Jasprit Bumrah and Harshal Patel have returned from injury to give a comeback to the team. All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, who underwent knee surgery, was not included in the list.

Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant were picked by selectors as the two wicket-keeper batters in the 15-man squad for the tournament in Australia next month.

Samson, who last played for India during the tour of Zimbabwe last month, was praised by many fans on Twitter for his amazing stroke-playing abilities and swashbuckling attitude. However, he was never considered for a place in India’s T20 World Cup squad this year.

Sanju Samson Was Not In Contention – BCCI Official

According to PTI, Samson was not in contention, and his name was not even mentioned in the selectors’ meeting on Monday before the team announcement. In the absence of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, Pant is the obvious choice as he is the only left-hander who can bat in the top five positions.

“Sanju in any case will be playing the ODIs against South Africa as selectors will maintain the continuity from the Zimbabwe tour. Also there was never any discussions on dropping Pant. He is the only left-hander we have at the top and he can win a match on his day,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by PTI.

While Samson’s talent and skills are undisputed, he has struggled for consistency since initially bursting into the spotlight in the Indian Premier League (IPL) a few years back. He has matured with age and has improved his skills considerably, though he is yet to find a place in the Indian white-ball team.

“Sanju in any case will be playing the ODIs against South Africa as selectors will maintain the continuity from the Zimbabwe tour. Also, there was never any discussions on dropping Pant. He is the only left-hander we have at the top and he can win a match on his day,” a BCCI source told PTI.

“Yes, the Asia Cup performance was discussed. But obviously, more than problems, the focus is on solutions and what are the things that needs to be improved during the T20 World Cup,” a BCCI official told PTI.

“There is an obvious issue with batting during the middle overs, especially between 7th to 15th where we haven’t done well in the Asia Cup. Obviously, the team’s think-tank is aware and we have some world-class players, who can obviously change their game as per team’s needs,” he added.

Sanju Samson was also not named in the list of reserve players as selectors selected Mohammed Shami, Deepak Chahar, Shreyas Iyer and leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi on standby.

On October 23, India will open their T20 World Cup 2022 campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Also read: T20 World Cup 2022: How Can You Decide He Will Go For Runs – Sunil Gavaskar Said About Harshal Patel