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'If I'm in place ..': Irfan Pathan's Candid Views On Samson's Unexpected Exclusion from Australia ODIs

image-lmq1n38kSamson's Exclusion from Australia ODIs [Twitter]

After a successful Asia Cup 2023 campaign, India meets visiting Australia in a short three-ODI series, ahead of the all-important ICC Cricket World Cup next month.

On Monday, skipper Rohit Sharma and chief selector Ajit Agarkar named a new-look squad for the first two ODIs and the most favoured squad for the third and final encounter. 

Interestingly, off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin makes a comeback into the ODI setup after 2022, while wicketkeeper batter Sanju Samson remains out of contention.

Samson's exclusion has been hotly debated on social media, who has fallen behind the pack with team management giving KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan preference. 

In a post via 'X', former India player Irfan Pathan, known for his outright opinions, stated that he would have been utterly disappointed if the all-rounder was in Samson's shoes. 

Check Post Here

"If I’m in place of @IamSanjuSamson right now I will be very disappointed…"

Other players like Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, and Shubman Gill have retained their places. Youngster Tilak Varma will be in the squad for the first two ODIs. 

The Rajasthan Royals (RR) captain, who was included in India's Asia Cup reserve squad, earlier missed a County deal apart from being omitted from Team India's World Cup and Asian Games sides as well. 

Samson has impressed in limited ODI chances for India, amassing 390 runs in 13 matches at an impressive average of 55.71.