(Source X)
Team India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has captured public interest during his cricket hiatus following last month’s T20I series against Sri Lanka. Recently, a video of Samson playing football on a basketball court went viral on social media.
The Kerala-born cricketer is currently relishing his break from the game. After his performance in the T20I series, where he was out for a duck in two matches, he was not included in the subsequent ODI squad.
Watch as Sanju Samson kicks a football on a basketball court.
During his cricket break, Samson was seen having fun playing football on a basketball court. The surface was slick, suggesting recent rain, which made the game even more enjoyable for him and his friends. A fan captured the moment and shared the video on social media X (formerly Twitter).
Samson was a member of Team India’s T20 World Cup 2024-winning squad but did not see any action during the tournament. Rishabh Pant was chosen as the wicketkeeper-batter, leaving Samson on the bench throughout the competition. India secured victory over South Africa in the final match to clinch the title.
Sanju Samson didn’t make it to the Duleep Trophy squads.
Samson was excluded from all four squads for the 17th edition of the Duleep Trophy, as announced by the BCCI earlier this week. The squads include players like Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Shreyas Iyer.
The tournament will run from September 5 to 22 in Anantapur and Bengaluru. Ishan Kishan, who has been away from the Indian team, will participate and has already made an impact with a century in the Buchi Babu tournament. Following the Test series at home, India is set to play a three-match T20I series against Bangladesh.
Play Whenever They Select Me – Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson’s exclusion from India’s ODI squad came as a surprise, particularly given his 108 against South Africa in his previous game. Speaking at a Kerala Cricket League press conference, Samson emphasized the team’s success over individual choices and expressed his desire to focus on making a positive contribution.
“I will just go and play whenever they select me,” Samson said.
At 29 years old, the batter has played 16 ODI matches and 30 T20 internationals for India. In ODIs, he has accumulated 510 runs at an average of 56.67, with one century and three fifties. His T20I career, however, has seen him score 444 runs at a lower average of 19.3.
