“Leaving him out was a wrong decision” - Former cricketer comes out hard on selectors

A former cricketer criticizes selectors for leaving a key player out of the squad, calling it a major mistake in India’s cricket team selection.

By Jack 11 Oct 2025 in Cricket

New Update

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has come out hard on the Indian selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, for not selecting the keeper-batter Sanju Samson in the Indian ODI squad, which is led by Shubman Gill.

For the unversed, Team India is scheduled to take on Australia in the three-match ODI series, starting on October 19. Later, they will lock horns with Australia in a five-match T20I series after the conclusion of the ODI series.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, while Kaif praised Dhruv Jurel for his exceptional batting skills in the longest format of the game against the West Indies in the first Test, he expected Samson to be selected ahead of Jurel in the ODI squad.

“I feel that Dhruv Jurel played really well when he scored that century (against WI). He looked very compact and organized, and he is definitely the future of Indian cricket. He has the ability to score in every match. But leaving out Sanju Samson was a wrong decision because Sanju usually plays in the lower order, around number 5 or 6, and for that position, he is a much better option than Jurel,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

Furthermore, Kaif felt that Samson’s ability to clear the boundaries with ease, especially against spinners, should give him an edge ahead of other players in the limited-overs squads.

“At that spot, you need someone who can hit sixes, especially against spinners. We saw Sanju Samson’s strength in the Asia Cup. If he had gone to Australia, he would have hit Adam Zampa for maximums. He’s in the top 10 for most sixes in the IPL, and he fits perfectly at number 5 or 6 in Australian conditions,” Kaif added.

“Right now, we tend to focus only on current form, like how well Jurel played recently, and in doing so, we forget players like Sanju who have been performing consistently and are deserving,” he concluded.

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