3 Teams That Sanju Samson Can Represent In Domestic Cricket Amidst Tussle With Kerala
Sanju Samson during 1st T20I vs ENG (Source: AP Photos)
Sanju Samson is one of the finest cricketers to emerge from Kerala and has made his state proud by representing India in white-ball formats. He is also one of the top IPL players and enjoys great fan-following not only in Kerala but all over the world.
However, his equation with Kerala State Cricket Association (KSCA) has been quite indifferent over the years and there have been plenty of fall-outs over the years. The recent controversy though has opened up all the loose strings, and the KSCA head has openly criticised Sanju Samson after the star batter did not participate in Kerala's camp before Vijay Hazare Trophy.
As a result, the star batter did not get a chance to play in the 50-over tournament and it hampered his chances of making it to the Champions Trophy squad. His father has also lashed out at KSCA and there is high probability that he will make the bold move of leaving his state team.
It would be a tough call for the wicketkeeper batter but if he does make the move, here are the three probable state teams that Samson can represent.
1. Rajasthan
Sanju Samson is a popular figure in Rajasthan as he leads the state team in IPL. There have been reports that Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu have offered the star batter to play for them in the next season, and it would be a natural association for Sanju as he has been associated with Rajasthan Royals for more than a decade.
Also, Deepak Hooda, the captain of Rajasthan had a disagreement with selection committee during Ranji Trophy and if he leaves the state team or leaves captaincy, Samson can fit into that role. Also, Rajasthan need quality players in their line-up to improve their performances at the domestic level as they last won the Ranji Trophy in 2011-12 season. They have not won Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy yet and having a player of the calibre of Sanju Samson would be a big boost for the state.
2. Tamil Nadu
As mentioned before, Tamil Nadu is also interested to rope in Sanju Samson in domestic cricket. The state has produced plenty of world-class cricketers over the years, but adding Sanju Samson could add more brand value to the state team, and could help their youngsters and overall team performance.
Also, Tamil Nadu is close to Kerala, and Sanju Samson is widely followed in the state. His addition can help Tamil Nadu increase their dominance in domestic cricket and it could help the cricketer too as he would get a chance to play in a successful team with a stable environment. Also, playing for Tamil Nadu will give him more chances to play in big games as compared to what he generally gets with Kerala and it will help in development of his game.
3. Vidarbha
Vidarbha has done well in the recent past and played the final of the last Ranji edition while they also made it to the finale of Vijay Hazare Trophy. The state association is known to draft in players from other states and Karun Nair is a classic example of it. He made a shift from Karnataka and is now leading the side with brilliant individual performances.
In the past, the likes of Wasim Jaffer, Subramaniam Badrinath and Karn Sharma all have made a shift to Vidarbha and have succeeded, so Samson could also benefit from the move. The shift to Vidarbha could help him take his decisions with more freedom and could in turn help him plan his career more strategically.