Kerala snub captain Sanju Samson from Vijay Hazare Trophy squad for not attending preparatory camp

Sanju Samson led Kerala in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.

In a massive development, captain Sanju Samson has been left out of Kerala’s squad for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy, which is India’s premier 50-over domestic competition.

The reasoning given for his omission is that Samson skipped the team’s three-day preparatory camp in Wayanad, although he had previously communicated his unavailability to the board.

Samson recently led Kerala in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where they failed to reach the knockout phase, finishing third in their group behind eventual champions Mumbai and Andhra.

He will, though, not feature in the Vijay Hazare Trophy as he’s been excluded from the squad after not reporting to Wayanad during the team’s camp.

Sanju Samson is Kerala’s third-highest scorer in List-A cricket. He has been in sensational form recently as he smacked three centuries in his last five T20I innings for India.

KCA secretary speaks on Sanju Samson’s omission:

The Kerala Cricket Association secretary Vinod S Kumar told The Indian Express, “Sanju had sent an email stating that he would not be available for the camp. The team had a short camp in Wayanad without him. Naturally, we only considered those who were part of the sessions for selection. There has been no further discussion with him on the matter.” 

Kerala played two intra-squad practice games at the Krishnagiri Stadium in Wayanad, after which a 19-member squad was announced on Tuesday.

Another senior cricketer, Sachin Baby, was also not selected due to an injury. “Sachin’s recovery period is slotted till December 21, following which we will take a call on his inclusion,” Kumar said.

In the absence of Samson and Baby, Kerala will be led by batsman Salman Nizar.

Kerala’s Vijay Hazare Trophy squad:

Salman Nizar (captain), Rohan S Kunnummal, Shoun Roger, Mohammed Azharuddeen M (wk), Anand Krishnan, Krishna Prasad, Ahammed Imran, Jalaj Saxena, Aditya Sarvate, Sijomon Joseph, Basil Thampi, Basil N P, Nidheesh MD, Eden Apple Tom, Sharafuddeen NM, Akhil Scaria, Vishweshwar Suresh, Vaishak Chandran, Ajnas M (WK).

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