Netizens showed their outrage on Twitter over Sanju Samson being left out of the ODI squad to face Australia in the upcoming 3-ODI series, while Ruturaj Gaikwad, Suryakumar Yadav, and Tilak Varma have been picked in the squad.
India will host Australia for a 3-ODI series, matches to be played on September 22, 24 and 27. With Axar Patel sustaining an injury in the Asia Cup 2023, Ravichandran Ashwin made his return while Washington Sundar, who was brought in as Axar’s replacement in the Asia Cup final, both are named in the squad.
Ruturaj Gaikwad and Tilak Varma are part of the squad for the first two ODIs as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are rested, while Suryakumar Yadav is part of all three ODI matches. KL Rahul will captain India in the first two games. Hardik Pandya and Kuldeep Yadav are also rested from the first two ODIs.
Sanju Samson last played ODIs for India in the West Indies before being dropped from the Asia Cup squad while Suryakumar and Tilak were picked. Both of them featured in one match in the Asia Cup, and both failed to perform with the bat against Bangladesh.
Fans felt Sanju Samson is being treated unfairly by the selectors and the management despite having good numbers in ODIs: in 12 ODI innings, Samson averages 55 with a strike rate of 104 with 3 fifties, while SKY has 2 fifties in 25 ODI innings and averages only 24.
Reactions of fans on Twitter after Sanju Samson was excluded from Australia ODIs:
India squad for first two ODIs vs Australia: KL Rahul (captain), Shubman Gill, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, R Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, J Bumrah, M Siraj, M Shami, Tilak Varma, Prasidh Krishna, R Ashwin, Washington Sundar
India squad for 3rd ODI vs Australia: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, R Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, J Bumrah, M Siraj, M Shami, Hardik Pandya, Virat Kohli, Kuldeep Yadav, Axar Patel (subject to fitness), R Ashwin, Washington Sundar
