Sanju Samson leaving Kerala? Batter was approached by rival state boards amid the KCA decline
30-year-old star wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson and the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) don’t seem to be on good terms at the moment.
Amid the tussle between Sanju Samson and the Kerala Cricket Association, the two major state boards approached the wicketkeeper-batsman and showed interest in bringing him into their squad.
What is going on between Sanju Samson and KCA?
Samson was one of the main contenders for a place in India’s 2025 ICC Champions Trophy squad 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 Sharma and Gautam Gambhir to choose between Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson.
Reportedly, chief selector Agarkar and captain Rohit wanted Pant in the team and Gambhir voted for Samson. In the end, it was Pant who was picked and one of the reasons behind Samson’s scorn was that he did not play in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
Notably, the KCA did not select Samson in the Kerala Vijay Hazare Trophy squad and president Jayesh George said that they did not select Samson as he did not attend the team’s three-day preparatory camp in Wayanad.
The KCA president also revealed that Samson had sent them a one-line text informing them of his unavailability for the camp but later confirmed his availability for the competition when the team had already been selected.
TNCA and RCA approach Sanjo Samson
According to a report in TwentyFour News, several state boards have shown interest in bringing Samson into their team amid his troubles with the Kerala Cricket Association.
Reportedly, Tamil Nadu Cricket Association and Rajasthan Cricket Association have approached Sanju Samson and want him to join their team.
🚨 NEW NEWS
Sanju Samson has been approached by other state boards due to 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 Kerala squad was not a wise decision – P. Balachandran
Former Kerala cricketers and association officials are not happy with the KCA’s stand and slammed the board for its ill-treatment of Samson. Former national team coach P Balachandran claimed that the KCA’s decision was not wise.
“Excluding Sanju from the Kerala team was not a wise decision by the KCA,” he said, as quoted by The New Indian Express. “The player and the association should have a good relationship between themselves.”
Meanwhile, former Kerala captain Sony Cheruvathur said that Samson is an international cricketer and going to the preparatory camp should not be mandatory for him.
“There is no requirement for an international player like Sanju to attend the preparatory camp. Sanju is a person who likes to get involved and actively contribute to the home team.
“If Sanju had been involved, it would have been a great inspiration for the youngsters in the team as well. I don’t think a player like Virat Kohli would train in a normal camp to get a place in the Delhi team. That kind of thing is funny,” said Sony.
