The BCCI on Thursday announced an 18-man squad for the five-match T20I series against West Indies in Trinidad starting July 29. Notable exclusions from the team were Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah and Yuzvendra Chahal.
Another player who missed again is Sanju Samson. The 27-year-old, who made his 2015 debut, has played only a few matches India in his career. Many fans and critics believe that this young player from Kerala deserves to be in the team for a long time.
Samson’s exclusion from the T20I squad did not go down well with the fans. People took to Twitter to show their dismay and asked BCCI to not give more opportunities to the youngster to make his mark and seal his position in India’s T20 squad. Soon after the announcement of the team, ‘Sanju Samson’ started trending on Twitter.
ALSO READ: ‘Planned promotion by BCCI’: Twitter’s reaction to Virat Kohli’s exclusion from T20I squad
One fan wrote,Sanju Samson deserves the chance, sad for this talented player. Sanju was ruled out of the T20I series against West Indies.
Sanju Samson deserve chance, feel sad for this talented player. Sanju dropped from T20I series against West Indies 🥹
#SanjuSamson pic.twitter.com/YjP6V2qT4i— Ashutosh Srivastava (@kingashu1008) July 14, 2022
This fan shared his disappointment saying that Sanju Samson ‘deserves better’.
this man deserves better#sanju samson pic.twitter.com/BqjTxpz6zE
— crypto boy (@anekhsi 7) 14 July 2022
Another fan wrote, ‘feel for Sanju Samson, Once again Sanju was dropped from Team India’s team, although nothing wrong was done to him. He performed as many opportunities as he got. He played one T20I against Ireland, he made 77(42). At least Sanju should have been in the team.
Feel for Sanju Samson. Once again Sanju was dropped from Team India’s team, although nothing wrong was done to him. He performed as many opportunities as he got. He played one T20I against Ireland, he made 77(42). At least Sanju should have been in the team.
— cricketman2 (@ImTanujSingh) 14 July 2022
Former India cricketer Dodda Ganesh said choosing Shreyas Iyer over Sanju Samson is ‘absurd’.
Ideally, you want players like Sanju Samson in T20s. It’s beyond cricketing logic for Shreyas Iyer to ignore him #doddamthu #crickettwitter #vind
— Big Ganesh | Dodda Ganesh (@doddaganesha) 14 July 2022
A fan accused the BCCI of ‘ruining’ the talent of the 27-year-old batsman.
Sanju Samson should join the England cricket team. BCCI is just wasting his God given talent….#INDvsWI #sanjusamson #BCCI #Indian Cricket Team pic.twitter.com/HMlA2BkGq4
— amayprem25 (@mayprem333) 14 July 2022
This user set the stats for defending young Kerala batsman.
484+ runs in IPL 2021
Good domestic season in 2021 (SMAT)
56 with 150+ strike rate in 2 innings vs respectively
IPL 2022. 458 runs at a strike rate of 150
77(42) against Ireland with a strike rate of 183
I don’t know why BCCI and selectors are ignoring Sanju Samson. pic.twitter.com/WL7qBywGQv— Sanju Samson India’s most beautiful batsman (@Sanjusamsonfan) 14 July 2022
Due to this boycott of Virat, there is also talk of fans on social media. While the BCCI is yet to clarify whether Virat has been dropped or rested for the series, fans have started trending ‘dropped’ on Twitter.
PTI had earlier reported that Kohli, who has been struggling for form and hasn’t scored a century since November 2019, had sought rest from the entire White Leg tour of West Indies which included three ODIs and five T20Is. The journey is starting from 22nd July.
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