The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiled the Indian squads for the upcoming T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka on July 18th. The announcement sparked debate, particularly concerning the exclusion of Sanju Samson from the ODI team. Suryakumar Yadav was chosen to lead India in the three T20I matches, while Rohit Sharma will captain the team in the three-match ODI series scheduled for August.
Sanju Samson, a wicketkeeper-batsman, found himself included in the T20I squad but surprisingly overlooked for the ODIs. This decision came despite his impressive performance in the last 50-over match against South Africa, where he scored a century in Paarl on December 21, 2023.
Shashi Tharoor, a prominent member of the Indian Parliament, expressed his disapproval of the squad selection on social media. He pointed out the seemingly contradictory approach of the selectors, highlighting that “rarely has success in Indian colours mattered so little.”
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In a now viral tweet, Tharoor specifically mentioned Samson’s recent ODI century and Abhishek Sharma’s T20I century against Zimbabwe, questioning why these achievements weren’t given more weight. He concluded the tweet by wishing the team luck for the upcoming Sri Lanka series but maintained his criticism with the hashtag #INDvsSL.
Interesting squad selection for India’s tour of Sri Lanka later this month. @IamSanjuSamson, who hit a century in his last ODI, has not been picked for ODIs, while @IamAbhiSharma4, who hit a T20I century in the #INDvZIM series, has not been picked at all. Rarely has success in… pic.twitter.com/PJU5JxSOx2
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) July 18, 2024
The BCCI’s decision to pick KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant as the designated wicketkeeper-batters for the ODIs meant overlooking Samson, who has accumulated a respectable 510 runs in his 16 ODIs so far. In the T20I squad, Abhishek Sharma, who smashed a blistering century in just 46 balls against Zimbabwe during the 2nd T20I on July 7, 2024, is believed to have missed out due to the return of established players Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant.
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Pant played a crucial role at No. 3 in the recent T20 World Cup 2024, while Suryakumar was a dominant force at No. 4, scoring 199 runs throughout the tournament. These established names returning to the T20I setup likely pushed Abhishek Sharma out of contention. The BCCI’s choices regarding Samson and Sharma have generated significant discussion and debate among fans and cricket analysts alike. With the Sri Lanka series approaching, all eyes will be on the team’s performance and how they justify the selection decisions.
India’s squad for the ODI series against Sri Lanka: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.
India’s squad for the T20I series against Sri Lanka: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Shubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj.
