Sanju Samson Lost Captaincy And Dropped From Team In Vijay Hazare Trophy
Vijay Hazare Trophy, lost captaincy, dropped from the team too. Why did Kerala give such a big punishment to Sanju Samson?
The star cricketer Sanju Samson has been dropped from the Kerala team for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He has been left out of the 19-member squad for not attending the preparation camp. Salman Nizar has been made the captain of the team. Kerala will start its campaign against Baroda on December 23.
Sanju Samson Dropped from Kerala Squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy Due to Absence from Preparation Camp
Star cricketer Sanju Samson has been left out of the Kerala team for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, India’s premier domestic ODI tournament. This decision comes after Samson, who recently captained Kerala in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, failed to attend the team’s preparation camp for the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Reports have it that Samson had intimated to the Kerala Cricket Association that he would not be able to attend the camp. In return, KCA opted to include only those players in the final squad who attended the preparation sessions. Therefore, Samson has been dropped from the 19-member squad for the tournament.
This decision has brought much attention, given that Samson was to lead the team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and is one of the most prominent players of Kerala cricket. It will be interesting to see how this decision would go against him in the future, whether in Kerala cricket or his relationship with the KCA.
Samson, 30 years old, a wicketkeeper-batsman has been in brilliant form in all formats this year. In the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024, he accumulated 136 runs in five innings at an average strike rate of 149.45. Despite winning four of their six group matches, Kerala didn’t advance to the knockouts. In the 29th edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy, Samson’s absence would affect Kerala. The event will start from December 21.
Sachin Baby ruled out due to injury
The star batsman of Kerala, Sachin Baby, will also be missing in this tournament as he is suffering from an injury. He will not play in this tournament. A 27-year-old batsman Salman Nizar has been made the captain of the team in the absence of Sanju Samson. Last season’s captain Rohan Kunnummal is also a part of the team. He had an impressive performance in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. Kerala will start its Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 journey versus Baroda on December 23 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Kerala squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy
Kerala Vijay Hazare Trophy squad: Salman Nizar (c), Rohan Kunnummal, Shaun Roger, Mohammed Azharuddin (wk), Anand Krishnan, Krishna Prasad, Jalaj Saxena, Aditya Sarwate, Sijomon Joseph, Basil Thampi, Basil NP, Nidhish MD, Eden Appleby Tom, Sharafuddin, Akhil Scaria, Vishweshwar Suresh, Vaishakh Chandran, Ajnas M (wk).
ALSO READ: How Australian Players Reacted to R Ashwin’s International Retirement