NewDelhi: In a surprising twist, star wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, who said he is fine and ready to play, has been left out of Kerala’s squad for the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy. The Kerala Cricket Association’s (KCA) decision to drop wicketkeeper Shardul Thakur from their Ranji Trophy squad has generated talk, as Thakur’s form has improved of late while he was also a part of the Indian T20I squad for the upcoming series against England.
The former India U19 star, synonymous with explosive batting and big match-turning performances, last played a professional match on 3 December 2024. The man of talent has been out of the park for over a month now, a stretch that could do his form no good with three major international assignments coming up.
Initially, the KCA had said Samson’s absence from the preparatory camp led to his exclusion. But since then, they have taken a different approach, saying they want to give more playing time to their younger players in domestic tournaments. Scepticism has been cast on this explanation, with Samson’s stature and recent performances for the national team.
Mail Today has learnt that sources close to the matter confirmed Samson had emailed the KCA confirming his availability for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. While communicating this, the association chose not to take him (to the squad), and now people are asking questions regarding the selection process and its effect on Kerala in the tournament.
Samson’s exclusion is especially unexpected as he has scored two hundreds in a four-match T20I series against South Africa last year. As he prepares to start his first T20I series against England, and matches in the Champions Trophy 2025 are not too far away, many felt that the Vijay Hazare Trophy was an opportunity for him to fine-tune skills in the 50-over format.
The cricketing world watches on as this situation unravels, and what it means for Samson’s career long term and for Kerala’s cricketing future is very unclear. Ahead of the T20I series between India and England, the cricketing fraternity has been waiting for the big man, Samson, who has not played a match so far despite 14 days of 2025 already gone.