India's Sanju Samson (PTI Photo)
Former India cricketer Aakash Chopra has questioned Sanju Samson’s continued omission from the ODI squad, pointing out that the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter has a strong record in the format but has not been considered even for the final two matches of the series against New Zealand.Chopra noted that India have several wicketkeeper-batters available, including KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant and Dhruv Jurel, none of whom have been picked for the upcoming matches. Ishan Kishan, meanwhile, has been named vice-captain, leaving Samson out of the squad.
“Sanju hasn't been kept now either. KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant, and Dhruv Jurel aren't there. Ishan Kishan has been made the vice-captain there, but Sanju isn't selected.
Sanju's ODI numbers are not that bad. He did well the last time he played,” Chopra said.The former batter believes the latest snub could indicate that the selectors have already made up their minds about Samson’s future in ODI cricket.“It looked like this time it would be the case to at least give him an opportunity, but you did not. You said you would keep Kumar Kushagra, which is okay. His domestic numbers are good, but why not Sanju Samson? It means you have made up your mind about Sanju Samson from an ODI cricket perspective,” Chopra observed.
Samson has scored 510 runs in 14 ODI innings at an average of 56.67. His last appearance in the format came against South Africa in Paarl in December 2023, when he struck 108 off 114 balls in India’s 78-run victory.
Chopra highlights Samson’s T20I numbers
Chopra also turned his attention to T20Is, comparing the returns of Samson, Ishan Kishan and
Abhishek Sharma
across their last 20 innings. The figures, he argued, challenge the criticism directed at Samson despite his consistent run-scoring.
| Batter | Runs | 50s | 100s | Average | Strike rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanju Samson | 657 | 7 | - | 34.57 | 183.51 |
| Ishan Kishan | 625 | 3 | - | 36.76 | 152.06 |
| Abhishek Sharma | 584 | 4 | 1 | 29.20 | 200.00 |
“The truth is that Sanju Samson has scored the most runs among them. Yet, he seems to have a lifetime subscription to pressure. Whenever there is a problem, pressure follows him. This keeps happening to him. Whether he scores runs or not, he is blamed for not scoring. If he isn't scoring, how can he be the highest scorer in the last 20 matches, when Ishan Kishan is the No. 1 T20I batter in the ICC rankings and Abhishek is No. 2?”Chopra’s defence of Samson comes amid repeated questions over the wicketkeeper-batter’s place in the Indian side.
Samson was dropped during the UK tour after just three failures, despite being named Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup, at a time when the entire batting unit was struggling.Ahead of the Afghanistan T20I series, his place in the team again became a subject of debate on social media, with some of the discussion also centred on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi being left out. Samson responded by scoring half-centuries in the second and third matches of the three-game series.
The scrutiny resurfaced after he was dismissed cheaply in the opening T20I against West Indies. However, Samson answered with an 82 in the second match and went on to finish as India’s second-highest run-scorer in the series.He scored 168 runs at a strike rate of 193.35, registering two half-centuries in the West Indies series. His performances have added weight to Chopra’s argument that Samson’s numbers deserve greater consideration amid the recurring questions over his place.