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Why Sanju Samson Not Playing in Kerala Cricket League A Worrying Sign For Rishabh Pant?

Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant-(X.com)Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant-(X.com)

Amid the growing presence of T20 leagues in states, Kerala too jumped onto the bandwagon and announced the Kerala Cricket League recently. 

The Kerala Cricket Association wants to compete with the likes of TNPL and MPL, and on Friday, August 9, they announced that the league will take place at the Greenfield International Stadium from September 2 to 19.

India's star batter Sanju Samson, who enjoys a massive fan following, was announced as the league icon and also unveiled the logo. 

However, on August 10, the auctions took place, and MS Akhil emerged as the top-most buy after Trivandrum Royals bought him for Rs 7.4 lakh.

It came as a shock for the fans who were waiting to see Sanju Samson top the list. However, the RR captain's name was not present in the auction list nor was he part of the six icons. 

Before the auction, the franchise had selected one icon player and therefore had to select 19 players each, as KCA allowed franchises to have 20-member squad. 

But it has left the fans wondering why Sanju Samson is not playing KCL while there is no international game for the next 40 days. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant too will feature in the Delhi Premier League, which will begin in a week. 

Why Sanju Samson Not Playing a Worry For Pant?

There has been no official announcement by the KCA or Sanju's team as to why Samson is not a part of the inaugural KCL season, but it is understood that the 29-year-old wants to focus on the upcoming domestic season. 

The 2024-25 Indian domestic season is set to begin with the Duleep Trophy on September 5, followed by the Ranji Trophy. Thus, Samson would look to up his game in red-ball cricket and make his Test debut as India have a hectic red-ball schedule. 

Sanju, who captains Kerala, has failed to get a solitary red-ball game for India. Meanwhile, Rishabh Pant has been India's first-choice and has also done well in the longest format of the game but last featured for the country in 2022 because of his fatal injury.

In the last two years, India have tried KS Bharat and Dhruv Jurel, but none have cemented their place in the team. Thus, it is the perfect opportunity for Samson to do well in the upcoming domestic season and pip Pant to feature for the Rohit Sharma-led side in Test cricket.