Kolkata: Sanju Samson’s electrifying performance in the recent T20 match at Eden Gardens sent a bold message to the Indian selectors, especially after his exclusion from the Champions Trophy squad despite being in exceptional form. Known for his blistering T20 displays, Sanju had set a record by scoring two centuries against South Africa but was still left out of India’s squad for the prestigious tournament. His innings in the first T20 against England, where he scored 26 runs off 20 balls—22 of which came from just one over by pacer Gus Atkinson—highlighted his undeniable talent.
Reports indicate that Coach Gautam Gambhir had lobbied for Sanju’s inclusion as the primary wicketkeeper, but the final decision was to opt for Rishabh Pant instead. This choice sparked criticism, with former cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar questioning the exclusion. Sanju’s last significant ODI performance was against South Africa, where he scored a century and was named Man of the Match.
Though listed as the first reserve, no official reserve players have been named yet for the Champions Trophy, leading to calls for Sanju to be included as a replacement in case of any injuries within the squad before the tournament starts on February 13.
Sanju’s absence from the Vijay Hazare Trophy, due to a dispute with the Kerala Cricket Association, was cited as one of the reasons for his exclusion. However, his stellar performance in 2024, where he scored 436 runs at a striking rate of 180.16, including three T20 centuries, remains hard to ignore. With his current ICC ranking at 17th, his call-up to the national squad seems increasingly inevitable.
