Sanju Samson’s World Cup dream is all but over after the 28-year-old was ignored for the India Asia Cup squad announced on Monday. The Rajasthan Royals captain was named a travelling reserve for the tournament that kicks off on August 30. KL Rahul’s return to fitness meant that there was no place for Sanju, with Suryakumar and Tilak Varma ahead in the pecking order.
Indian Cricket Team captain Rohit Sharma and chief Selector Ajit Agarkar named the 17-man squad for the Asia Cup on Monday. Samson, one of the contenders for the squad, missed out. Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma got the nod ahead of the Kerala superstar. The 28-year-old averages more than 55 in ODIs, but will have to watch on from the sidelines as the team prepares for the Asia Cup and the World Cup.
While the Rajasthan Royals skipper averages in excess of 55 in ODIs, he has often been guilty of throwing his chances away. Even in his final ODI, Sanju Samson raced to 51 off 40 balls, before failing to temper his aggression.
On Sunday, Samson was handed another chance to make an impression. He struggled early on, striking at close to run a ball, unlike his natural instincts. Just when Samson looked set for a huge score, he brought about his own downfall. Trying to hoick Benjamin White through the covers, an inside edge brought about his downfall. Samson had the chance to bat until the end, but instead fell short with more than 7 overs to spare.
Samson nonetheless will participate in the Asia Cup camp at the NCA after the Ireland series. He will also travel to Sri Lanka as a reserve keeper. With KL Rahul yet to be 100%, the Indian Cricket Team have kept Samson around as insurance.
India Asia Cup Squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Tilak Varma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (VC), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, Prasidh Krishna, Sanju Samson (backup)
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