Shashi Tharoor Slams KCA Over Sanju Samson’s Champions Trophy Snub

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor expressed his disappointment at Sanju Samson being left out of the India squad for the Champions Trophy 2025. Tharoor criticized the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) for mismanaging Samson’s availability for the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Tharoor’s Criticism of KCA

Samson was left out of India’s 15-member squad as selectors preferred Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul. Tharoor claimed that KCA’s decision to drop Samson from the Vijay Hazare Trophy squad set off a chain reaction that led to his exclusion from India’s ODI team.

“The sorry saga of the Kerala Cricket Association and Sanju Samson — the player wrote to KCA, in advance, regretting his inability to attend a training camp… and was promptly dropped from the squad — has now resulted in Sanju’s exclusion from the Indian team,” Tharoor wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Questions Raised About KCA’s Decisions

Samson informed KCA he couldn’t attend a training camp for the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy. Despite prior communication, KCA dropped Samson, citing its policy requiring players to attend the preparatory camp.

Tharoor accused KCA of prioritizing egos over performance. “A batsman who has a highest score of 212* in the Hazare and averages 56.66 in ODIs for India is having his career destroyed by the egos of cricket administrators,” he added.

Impact on Kerala’s Performance

Tharoor also criticized KCA for its on-field decisions, noting that Kerala failed to reach the Vijay Hazare Trophy quarterfinals without Samson. “Doesn’t it bother the KCA bosses that by leaving Sanju out, they ensured Kerala didn’t even reach the quarter-finals?” he asked.

Samson had been in red-hot form lately. He smashed two T20I centuries in a series against South Africa. Moreover, he has a strong ODI record, including a century in his last game against the same opponent. Despite these standout achievements, they weren’t enough to earn him a place in the squad.

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