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30-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson and the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) don’t seem to be on good terms at the moment.
Amidst the fallout between Sanju Samson and the Kerala Cricket Association, two major state boards have approached the batsman and shown interest in bringing him into their squad.
What is going on between Sanju Samson and KCA?
Samson was one of the top contenders fighting for a place in India’s squad for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy as a wicketkeeper alongside Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Dhruv Jurel.
The Indian team management finalized KL Rahul as the first-choice wicketkeeper, and then there was a heated debate between Ajit Agarkar, Rohit Sharm and Gautam Gambhir to choose between Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson.
According to reports, chief selector Agarkar and skipper Rohit wanted Pant in the squad and Gambhir voted for Samson. In the end, it was Pant who was picked and one of the reasons behind Samson’s resentment was that he was not playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Notably, Samson was not picked in the Kerala Vijay Hazare Trophy squad by KCA and president Jayesh George said they did not pick Samson because he did not attend the team’s three-day preparatory camp in Wayanad.
The KCA president also revealed that Samson sent them a one-line message informing them of his unavailability for the field but later confirmed his availability for the competition when the team was already picked.
TNCA and RCA approach Sanju Samson
According to a report by TwentyFour News, several state boards have shown interest in bringing Samson into their team amid their troubles with the Kerala Cricket Association.
Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and Rajasthan Cricket Association have reportedly approached Sanju Samson and want him to join their team.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS
Sanju Samson has been approached by other state boards amid ongoing issues with Kerala Cricket (KCA)
Reports suggest that the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and the Rajasthan Cricket Association have approached Sanju and shown interest in bringing him into their squad. pic.twitter.com/kZ5YGm6so2
— Sanju Samson Fan Page (@SanjuSamsonFP) January 20, 2025
Also, the star wicketkeeper-batsman has not been selected in the Kerala Ranji Trophy squad for the upcoming matches.
Dropping Sanju from the Kerala team was not a wise decision, P Balachandran
Former Kerala cricketers and association officials are not happy with KCA’s stance and slammed the board for mistreating Samson. Former state team coach P Balachandran claimed that the decision taken by KCA was not wise.
“Excluding Sanju from the Kerala team was not a wise decision by KCA,” he was quoted as saying by The New Indian Express. “A player and an association should have a good relationship with each other.”
Meanwhile, Kerala expat Sony Cheruvathur said that Samson is an international cricketer and attending a preparatory camp should not be mandatory for him.
“There is no requirement for an international player like Sanju to attend a preparatory camp. Sanju is a person who likes to get involved and actively contribute to the home team.
“Had Sanju been included, he would have been a great inspiration to the youngsters in the team as well. I don’t think a player like Virat Kohli was training in a normal pitch to get a place in the Delhi team. This stuff is ridiculous,” Sony said.
