Samson was not in contention, no discussions on dropping Pant: BCCI source on India’s T20 World Cup squad

There was a lot of noise on social media over the non-inclusion of wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2022 after the team was announced by the BCCI on Monday. Samson was overlooked as India picked Dinesh Karthik and Rishabh Pant as the two wicket-keeper batters in the 15-man squad for the tournament in Australia next month.

Samson, who last featured for India on their tour of Zimbabwe last month, was backed by many fans on Twitter for his brilliant stroke-playing ability and swashbuckling style. However, he was reportedly never in contention to make the cut in India’s squad for the T20 World Cup this year.

As per PTI, Samson was not in contention and his name was not even discussed during the meeting between the selectors on Monday ahead of the announcement of the squad. Pant was an obvious choice considering he is the only left-hander that can play in the top five in the absence of all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.

“Sanju in any case will be playing the ODIs against South Africa as selectors will maintain the continuity from the Zimbabwe tour. Also there was never any discussions on dropping Pant. He is the only left-hander we have at the top and he can win a match on his day,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by PTI.

Also Read: He can do what Shastri did in 1985: Gavaskar backs Hardik Pandya to light up T20 World Cup 2022

While Samson’s talent and skills have never been doubted, he has struggled for consistency ever since first bursting onto the scene with his exploits in the Indian Premier League (IPL) a few years back. He has now matured with age and has significantly improved his game but is yet to cement his spot in the Indian team in white-ball cricket.

Apart from the debate over the selection of players, India’s disappointing performance in the recently-concluded Asia Cup 2022 was also discussed during the meeting on Monday. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah were also present and it was pointed out that India’s performance in the middle order was concerning.

Also Read: Unfair for Sanju Samson: Former Pakistan cricketer questions his absence from India’s T20 World Cup squad

“Yes, the Asia Cup performance was discussed. But obviously, more than problems, the focus is on solutions and what are the things that needs to be improved during the T20 World Cup,” a BCCI official told PTI.

“There is an obvious issue with batting during the middle overs, especially between 7th to 15th where we haven’t done well in the Asia Cup. Obviously, the team’s think-tank is aware and we have some world-class players, who can obviously change their game as per team’s needs,” he added.

(With inputs from PTI)