In what has come as a startling development, Sanju Samson has been left out of Kerala’s squad for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) 2024-25 after failing to attend the team’s preparatory camp. This decision comes just two weeks after he captained Kerala in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT), where they finished third in Group E. Kerala missed the knockouts behind Mumbai and Andhra.
Sanju Samson punished?
According to the IndianExpress, Samson wasn’t considered for selection as he missed a brief camp, where the 30-man squad played two intra-squad practice games. Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) secretary Vinod S Kumar stated, “Sanju had sent an email stating that he would not be available for the camp. The team had a short camp in Wayanad without him. Naturally, we only considered those who were part of the sessions for selection. There has been no further discussion with him on the matter.”
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What has gone wrong for Samson?
Veteran batter Sachin Baby also missed out due to an injury sustained during SMAT. His recovery is expected by December 21. In their absence, batter Salman Nizar, who impressed in the T20s and Ranji Trophy, has been named captain.
Samson’s exclusion comes after a mixed T20I series in South Africa, where he scored two centuries but also registered two ducks. In SMAT, he managed 136 runs with one half-century across five matches. Samson last played a 50-over game for India in December 2023 against South Africa, where his unbeaten 108 secured a crucial win. Notably, he remains Kerala’s third-highest List A run-scorer with 1,895 runs, including a career-best 212*.
Kerala squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy
Salman Nizar (captain), Rohan S Kunnummal, Shoun Roger, Mohammed Azharuddeen M (wk), Anand Krishnan, Krishna Prasad, Ahammed Imran, Jalaj Saxena, Aditya Sarvate, Sijomon Joseph, Basil Thampi, Basil N P, Nidheesh MD, Eden Apple Tom, Sharafuddeen NM, Akhil Scaria, Vishweshwar Suresh, Vaishak Chandran, Ajnas M (WK).
The tournament will run from December 21 to January 18, 2025.
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