In a scathing outburst, Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson’s father, Samson Viswanath, has accused the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) of actively blocking his son’s chances in the Indian national cricket team after he was ignored for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
His emotional frustration came after Sanju Samson was shockingly dropped from India’s squad for the upcoming ODI series against England as well as the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, due to his absence from the recent 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy—India’s premier 50-over tournament. verification. .
Sanju Samson’s father slammed the KCA after his son was ruled out of the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
Sanju Samson has been consistent for the Indian national cricket team, scoring 100 runs in his last ODI and T20I match. But despite his stellar form, the Indian wicketkeeper has been ruled out for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025, which begins on February 19.
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Expressing his anger, Samson Viswanath alleged that some Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) officials were conspiring against his son and accused them of standing in the way of Sanju Samson getting the recognition he deserves.
Earlier, the KCA had said that Samson had opted out of the preparatory camp and was therefore not selected for the recent Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25, which played a key role in the Kerala star’s absence from the upcoming prestigious tournament.
There are people within the KCA who have something against my child: Father Sanju Samson
But Sanju’s father claimed that it was already clear that the Rajasthan Royals captain would not be selected for the tournament long before the camp even started. He believes that his son’s future in the game is unfairly threatened due to personal grievances and politics within the KCA.
Mathrubhumi.com quoted Samson Viswanath as saying, “There are people within the KCA who have something against my child. We have never spoken against the association before, but this time it became too much.
“Sanju is not the only one who didn’t attend the camp; yet other players in the same situation are allowed to play. It’s not about Jayesh George (KCA president) or Vinod (KCA secretary); it’s some small people in between who turn everything into poison over trivial things .”
Viswanath also recalled how KCA had earlier denied his elder son, Saly Samson, a chance due to injury. He also highlighted an incident where the then KCA president, TC Mathew, turned a deaf ear to him when he requested leave for his injured son.
Samson Viswanath demands a fair chance for his son
Samson signed off by saying, “We are athletes, we are not interested in sports. All I want is for my son to get a fair chance to play. If there is any mistake, we are open to talk and ready to fix it.”
Notably, Sanja will next be seen in action in the upcoming five-match T20I series against England, starting on Wednesday, January 22, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. After this T20I series, the Men in Blue will play three ODIs against England and then travel to Dubai for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. However, Samson will have to shift his focus to IPL 2025 where he will lead the Rajasthan Royals, after being relegated from India’s ODI line-up.
