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India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad: Did Sanju Samson pay price for skipping Vijay Hazare Trophy?
Sanju Samson hasn't played a single 50-over game in 2024. His last ODI for India came in 2023 against South Africa.
Sanju Samson was one of the notable absentees form the Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, that was announced in Mumbai on Saturday. The Indian think-tank decided to go with two wicketkeepers - KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant - in the 15-member squad, that will also play in the three-match ODI series against England.
One of the most consistent batters in the last few months, Samson has scored two centuries in his last T20I series against South Africa in November in previous year. In fact, Samson scored a hundred in his last ODI match. However, it came in 2023 against South Africa.
With Pant confirmed by captain Rohit Sharma to be the first-choice wicketkeeper in the Champions Trophy, KL Rahul will be playing as a pure batter in the side. Certainly, Samson would had to warm the benches even if he was selected in the squad.
Why Sanju Samson was ignored?
One of the major reasons for Samson's omission that might have played in selectors' minds was the fact that he skipped the Vijay Hazare Trophy for Kerala, which is a a 50-over domestic tournament. The last time Samson was seen on a cricket field was during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy on December 3, 2024.
Had Samson played in Vijay Hazare Trophy, there could have been an outside chance for the Kerala star. Notably, Samson's last 50-over game for any side came on December 21, 2023 against South Africa.
Earlier, a TOI report stated that the BCCI selectors are unhappy with Samson skipping the Vijay Hazare Trophy despite the Indian board's directive of playing domestic cricket when not on national duty. Samson was recently spotted at Rajasthan Royals high-performance centre.
India's squad for ICC Champions Trophy 2025: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Arshdeep Singh, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rishabh Pant, Ravindra Jadeja.
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Business NewsSportsCricket NewsIndia’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad: Did Sanju Samson pay price for skipping Vijay Hazare Trophy?
First Published:18 Jan 2025, 06:27 PM IST
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