There is clamour in certain quarters over the exclusion of Sanju Samson from the Indian squad for the England ODI series and Champions Trophy. The dashing wicketkeeper-batter has been making waves in the T20 format and he also has an average of 56-plus from 16 ODIs. He is in form too, having cracked two T20I centuries in South Africa late last year.
The Indian squad announced yesterday has two wicketkeepers — KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. If Samson were to find a place, it would have to be at the expense of one of them. Looking at Rahul’s experience, ability and track record in these conditions, it was not possible to overlook him. Pant’s record, however, isn’t that good. He averages 33.50 from 31 ODIs. Those who think Samson should have made the cut argue that he could have come in place of Pant.
While there is merit in this argument, there were certain practical problems. Samson wasn’t part of Kerala’s squad in the recently concluded national one-day championship for the Vijay Hazare Trophy. He was allegedly left out on disciplinary grounds, for not attending a preparatory camp. With so much emphasis on stars playing/not playing domestic cricket of late, was it possible to name him in the national team when his home association has taken this kind of a step?
Jayesh George, the president of Kerala Cricket Association, said on Reporter TV, a local news channel, that Samson had sent a one-line e-mail informing them about his non-availability for the camp, without any explanation. He added that the player had also disappeared between two Ranji Trophy games, saying that there was a medical emergency in Dubai. Again, nothing was elaborated.
More importantly, Samson has not played any competitive one-day cricket since December 2023. He recently struck three breathtaking T20I centuries within a short span against Bangladesh and South Africa. Those were tremendous efforts, at a strike-rate of almost 200. Should that warrant him a place in the 50-over set-up? It’s a matter to ponder. Pant is no mean hitter of the ball, by the way.
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Despite his impressive numbers in ODIs (14 innings, 510 runs, 1 century, 3 half-centuries, strike-rate of 99.60), Samson played mostly as a stopgap arrangement. It’s hard to find a slot for him in the ODI XI. In the middle order, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and Rahul were instrumental in India’s 10-match winning streak in the 2023 World Cup. When it comes to openers, Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal can’t be excluded for different reasons. So where does Samson fit in?
The selectors had a tough call to make. They went for continuity. It can be countered by saying that the squad they have picked is mostly from the 2023 World Cup, which was nearly 15 months ago. A lot of water has flown under the bridge after that. But given that all those players have been in touch with the game through other formats since then, was there room or time to experiment?
Three ODIs against England is all that the team has got to prepare for the Champions Trophy. It’s a huge outing for India in their ‘mission restoration’ after the Test series humiliation against New Zealand and the timid show in Australia. The selectors have a pool of players who have done well in the 50-over format of late, and Samson was never part of that mainstream. So they had to go for the tested instead of trying out players in new roles at the 11th hour.
Samson is a gifted ball-striker who can pulverise attacks with his through-the-line high and straight hits. These are delightful to watch and capital gains for his team. But selecting a team follows several parameters. In a lot of those at this point in time, the 30-year-old doesn’t fit in the ODI scheme of things. He is not a victim. Samson has a chance to impress in the T20Is against England.
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