Sun Jan 19 16:58:27 UTC 2025: ## Kerala Cricket Association Blamed for Sanju Samson’s India Snub

**THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, INDIA** – Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has strongly criticized the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) for its role in Sanju Samson’s exclusion from India’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad. Tharoor alleges that the KCA’s decision to drop Samson from the Vijay Hazare Trophy squad, despite prior notification of his inability to attend a training camp, directly led to his omission from the national team.

Samson, who boasts impressive ODI statistics including a century against South Africa and an average of 56.66, had informed the KCA in advance of his unavailability. Despite this, the association proceeded to drop him, a move Tharoor condemned as career-damaging. Samson himself echoed this sentiment on X (formerly Twitter), highlighting the KCA’s actions and their impact on Kerala’s performance in the Hazare Trophy.

The selectors ultimately opted for Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul as wicketkeeper-batters, despite Samson’s recent string of impressive performances, including three centuries in his last five T20I innings and a century in his last ODI. Tharoor’s criticism underscores growing concerns over the KCA’s administrative practices and their potential negative impact on promising Kerala cricketers. The incident raises questions about the selection process and the influence of state-level associations on national team selection.

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