• Home
  • Entertainment
  • Politics Won Sanju Samson Lost Fans Rage Over Rishabh Pants Selection In Odi Squad

"Politics won, Sanju Samson lost": Fans rage over Rishabh Pant's selection in ODI squad

Akshita Patel

Fans disappointed with Samson's snub from ODI squad [Source: @IamSanjuSamson, @Selfless_Samson/X.com]Fans disappointed with Samson's snub from ODI squad [Source: @IamSanjuSamson, @Selfless_Samson/X.com]

The BCCI formally announced the ODI squad for the upcoming series against South Africa. However, the absence of Sanju Samson caused a massive uproar on social media.

Shubman Gill, struggling with a neck injury, has been rested, as KL Rahul has been named captain for the three-game series. 

Fans demand justice for Sanju Samson after ODI snub

Interestingly, the selectors went for Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel as wicket-keeping options and ignored Sanju Samson.

While Pant has an average of 33.50 in the ODIs, Jurel is yet to debut in the format. In contrast, Samson has a 56.66 average in the 50-over format with a hundred that he previously scored against South Africa.

Moreover, since Shreyas Iyer is also injured, a slot in the top order is open for Samson to fit. Yet, the selectors chose to trust Pant instead.

This decision didn’t sit well with the fans, as they lashed out at chief selector Ajit Agarkar and the Indian management for not treating Sanju Samson right.

Fans demanded justice for the wicket-keeper and also suspected that Samson could soon be pushed out of international cricket altogether.

"Sanju Samson trying to get into the Indian team. Meanwhile, selectors" - @tHeSpoilerD

Fan tweet [Source: @tHeSpoilerD/X.com]Fan tweet [Source: @tHeSpoilerD/X.com]

"Pant gets picked with a 33 average… Sanju sits out with a 58 average. A man who scored a century in his last ODI is ignored again. How do you justify dropping someone who never fails? How does consistency get punished like this? Sanju didn’t lose his spot — the system failed him. This is not selection… this is heartbreak.” 💔" - @SamsonSupremacy

"Expecting Sanju Samson going tpo be dropped from T20I team soon 🥲 . That level of selection happening" - @SivadathH68311

Fan tweets [Source: @SivadathH68311, @SamsonSupremacy/X.com]Fan tweets [Source: @SivadathH68311, @SamsonSupremacy/X.com]

"It's disappointing to see that everyone has given up on the idea of Sanju Samson featuring in the ODIs against South Africa.  It's not that he isn't good; his numbers speak for themselves.  But purely because ICT selections are based on favoritism over merit, he will miss out. He’ll probably end up retiring as an IPL legend and be spoken of as a “what if” story down the line." - @NFTBear5

Fan tweet [Source: @NFTBear5/X.com]Fan tweet [Source: @NFTBear5/X.com]

"Team India has been selected for the ODI series against South Africa, with three wicketkeepers included but Sanju Samson's name is missing. Sanju Samson scored Century and was man of the match in his last ODI. Politics Won, Sanju Samson Lost." - @Selfless_Samson

"We all know how pathetic Rishabh Pant is as a white ball player but BCCI still backs him ahead of Sanju Samson. Losing all the trust in the Indian selection process.They are a bunch of jokers." - @sujeetsuman1991

Fan tweets [Source: @Selfless_Samson, @sujeetsuman1991/X.com]Fan tweets [Source: @Selfless_Samson, @sujeetsuman1991/X.com]

Notably, in the recent Asia Cup 2025, Sanju Samson lost his opening spot to vice-captain Shubman Gill and was pushed to no. 5. In many games, he wasn’t allowed an opportunity to bat until no. 7.

These dubious choices have left fans wondering if selectors are planning to move on from Sanju Samson in both T20Is and ODIs.

For now, BCCI hasn’t issued any clarity on why Samson was snubbed, as the squad was released through social media and not through a press conference.