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India's seasoned wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has been left out of the South Zone squad for the upcoming Duleep Trophy 2025, which is slated to get underway from August 28. This was Samson's back-to-back snub in the domestic set-up, having earlier being excluded from Kerala's squad in the last edition's Vijay Hazare Trophy. The reason why Samson's omission has turned heads because five other players from his home state have been selected for the team, while the star batter's name is missing. This snub comes at a time when Samson's place in the Indian T20 team is already uncertain due to the potential return of Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal with Asia Cup 2025 around the corner.
No Sanju Samson in Duleep Trophy
Speculation has also been surrounding Samson in the IPL, with rumors suggesting the Chennai Super Kings might be interested in acquiring the Rajasthan Royals captain. However, reports from Mumbai Mirror indicate that the Royals have no intention of releasing their star player, and Samson himself is keen to remain with the franchise. Despite this stability in his franchise career, his recent exclusion from the Duleep Trophy squad adds another layer of uncertainty to his domestic cricketing career.
The 30-year-old's limited participation in the previous Ranji Trophy season for Kerala may have played a role in his omission. He only appeared in two matches during the team's historic run to the finals, with his absence attributed to international commitments and injury concerns. This lack of recent first-class exposure could be a factor in the selectors' decision to overlook him for the Duleep Trophy.
The chairman of the South Zone selection committee Thalaivan Sargunam Xavier stated that the selection for Duleep Trophy has been done purely on the basis of strong red-ball performances.
"Sanju Samson was not selected because he was unavailable for much of last year’s Ranji Trophy season, when Kerala made their historic run to the final. This squad was picked based on players who have consistently performed well in the Ranji Trophy and during India A tours," Thalaivan Sargunam Xavier told TOI.
South Zone's squad for Duleep Trophy:
Tilak Varma (c) (Hyderabad), Mohammed Azharuddeen (vc) (Kerala), Tanmay Agarwal (Hyderabad), R Sai Kishore (Tamil Nadu), Tanay Thyagarajan (Hyderabad), Vijaykumar Vyshak (Karnataka), Nidheesh MD (Kerala), Ricky Bhui (Andhra), Devdutt Padikkal (Karnataka), Mohit Kale (Pondicherry), Salman Nizar (Kerala), Narayan Jagadeesan (Tamil Nadu), Tripurana Vijay (Andhra), Basil NP (Kerala), Gurjapneet Singh (Tamil Nadu), Snehal Kauthankar (Goa)
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