Sanju Samson in India colours (Source:@CricCrazyJohns/X.com)
Sanju Samson, the leading Indian cricketer from Kerala has not been included in the state team's Vijay Hazare squad due to his non-attendance in the three-day KCA camp. Sanju Samson recently led Kerala in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and has been in great form at the international level with three T20I centuries in recent times.
In Sanju's absence, Salman Nizar has been appointed captain while the experienced batter Sachin Baby has also not been included in the squad due to an injury. Samson was included in the 30-member probable list before the prepatory camp, but he did not attend the meeting and the squad was then cut down to 19 after two practice matches.
Kerala Cricket Takes Strict Stance Against Sanju Samson
KCA secretary, Vinod S Kumar confirmed the development to Indian Express where he revealed that Sanju Samson sent an email to the board about his unavailability for the camp. The secretary also mentioned that that they considered only players who were part of the camp and there have been no further discussions with Sanju Samson.
If Sanju Samson does miss the Vijay Hazare Trophy, it would be a big blow for the stylish wicketkeeper batter. The Champions Trophy 2025 is around the corner, and Sanju Samson is among the players in contention for a place in the squad. A good performance in Vijay Hazare would have boosted his chances, but now things could get tricky for the star batter.
Kerala's Squad For Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024
Kerala squad: 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)