In a scathing criticism of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA), Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor has expressed his dismay over the exclusion of cricketer Sanju Samson from both the Kerala squad and the Indian national team. Tharoor pointed out the irony in the situation, where a player with an impressive record, including a highest score of 212* in the Vijay Hazare Trophy and an average of 56.66 in ODIs for India, has been sidelined due to the egos of cricket administrators.

Sanju Samson, despite his stellar recent performances, has been omitted from India's squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy, leaving his fans, especially from his home state of Kerala, deeply disappointed. The Kerala-born cricketer, who became the first Indian batter to score back-to-back centuries in T20Is against South Africa, had hoped to secure a spot in the prestigious tournament.

Tharoor highlighted that Samson had written to the KCA in advance, informing them of his inability to attend a training camp due to a clash between the SMA and Vijay Hazare Trophy tournaments. Despite this, Samson was promptly dropped from the squad. Tharoor raised concerns over the long-term impact of such decisions on Samson's career, particularly as it led to Kerala's failure to even reach the quarter-finals of the Hazare Trophy.

The MP questioned whether the KCA bosses truly understood the consequences of their actions, as they seemed to have effectively undermined the career of one of Kerala's brightest cricketing talents. The exclusion of Sanju Samson from the squad has sparked a debate over the role of administrators in shaping players' careers and the need for better communication and understanding between the governing bodies and athletes.

The exclusion follows a somewhat unlucky international career for Samson. Last year, he was part of India’s T20 World Cup-winning squad but was benched throughout the tournament, not getting a single match. Rather than let this setback hinder him, Samson responded with remarkable consistency in domestic and T20I cricket, earning praise for his batting and solidifying his place as a key player for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, where he is the franchise’s highest run-scorer. Fans will now have to wait and hope for his inclusion in future international tours.