Sanju Samson was dropped from Kerala's squad for the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy on Wednesday. The star cricketer recently led the team in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy but reportedly missed the preparatory camp for India's premier List A domestic tournament, leading to his snub for the final 19-member squad.
Samson was part of the Kerala's 30-member probable squad for the 50-over tournament. According to a report from ESPNCricinfo, the player had informed the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) about his unavailability for the preparation camp. The KCA had decided to include the players in the final squad who participated in the camp and stayed firm on their original decision.
The 30-year-old wicketkeeper batter has been in sensational form across formats this year. He scored 136 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 149.45 in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2024, where Kerala missed out on the knockout qualification despite winning four of their six group-stage games. Samson's absence is likely to affect Kerala's chances in the 29th edition of the Vijay Hazare Trophy which will begin on December 21.
Meanwhile, Kerala will be also without their star batter Sachin Baby who missed out due to injury. The 27-year-old batter Salman Nizar has been named captain to lead the team in Sanju Samson's absence. Last season's captain Rohan Kunnummal is also part of the team after impressive performances in the 2024 Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy.
Kerala squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25
Salman Nizar (c), Rohan Kunnummal, Shoun Roger, Mohammed Azharuddeen (wk), Anand Krishnan, Krishna Prasad, Jalaj Saxena, Aditya Sarwate, Sijomon Joseph, Basil Thampi, Basil NP, Nidheesh MD, Eden Apple Tom, Sharafuddeen, Akhil Scaria, Vishweshwar Suresh, Vaishak Chandran, Ajnas M (wk).
Kerala will begin their Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25 campaign against Baroda at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on December 23.
