“Again, very unfair” - Former Indian cricketer slams BCCI for dropping Sanju Samson

Former Indian chief selector and commentator Kris Srikkanth has lashed out at the BCCI, Indian team management, and selection committee for excluding Sanju Samson from the ODI squad for the upcoming Australia tour.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Srikkanth questioned the reason behind Dhruv Jurel’s inclusion in the ODI squad while Samson scored a century in his last ODI against South Africa in late 2023.

Statistically speaking, Samson has played 16 ODIs and has accumulated 510 runs at an average of 56.66 and a strike rate of 99.6 with one century and three half-centuries. 

“Again very unfair. Sanju should have been there, considering he scored a century in his last ODI. So every day the reason keeps changing for each individual. One day you make him bat at 5, then another day you make him open. Sometimes you send him at 7 or 8. How did Dhruv Jurel suddenly come in? Sanju may or may not feature in the 11 but he has to be given the first right of refusal,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.

Meanwhile, the Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar has disclosed the reason behind Samson not finding a place in the ODI squad, while speaking with the media after announcing the limited-overs squads. 

“It’s more (due to) position (that he’s not in the squad). I mean, Sanju Samson bats at the top of the order. I think when he got a hundred, I think he batted number three, if I’m not wrong. Jurel usually bats low down the order. KL bats there as well. You’ve seen how good a player Dhruv is. So again, you’re looking at spots. I don’t think there’s room at the top again. So we’re looking at guys who can fit in those spots,” Agarkar said.

“And obviously, Sanju at the moment in T20 cricket is batting there and we’re trying him there. But in one-day cricket, it’s a little bit different. So that’s basically the thought. It’s more the position than anything else,” he added.

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