The India squad for Champions Trophy 2025 was announced by Rohit Sharma and Ajit Agarkar in a press conference held on January 18. But fans have been left baffled seeing the choices for 15-member squad. A lot of them have questioned as to why players like Karun Nair who have performed extremely well have still been left out. While Sanju Samson who did not play Vijay Hazare Trophy was also left out, so on what basis are the squad being picked.
Basically, Sanju Samson was not picked for the Champions Trophy because he did not play the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
And Karun Nair was not picked because the Vijay Hazare Trophy does not matter.
Dei, BCCI. What da?---Advertisement---— Ramesh Srivats (@rameshsrivats) January 18, 2025
Players With PR Picked Over The Ones With Good Form?
A lot of fans have also said that because players like Sanju Samson and Karun Nair don’t have a strong PR they are conveniently ignored and overlooked despite outstanding performances.
How can you leave out Karun Nair who have the form of life? What more is expected from him? Why Sanju Samson, who is the best Indian clean hitter of ball of this generation is out of this team? BCCI never explains the reason. All PR players are in this team.
---Advertisement---— Rational Talks (@RationalTalks) January 19, 2025
Aapka beta is saal team me nahi select hoga
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) January 18, 2025
Batting Average 700+ hai par social media pe likes 70 bhi nahi pic.twitter.com/jxAIBfXI2E
Sanju Samson & Karun Nair’s Stellar Form
Sanju Samson has scored 3 centuries in the last five matches he played with a 50+ average in the ODI format, he also scored a ton against South Africa but still he was left out. Karun Nair on the other hand scored 779 runs in single season of Vijay Hazare Trophy (2024-25) which included 5 centuries, he was in the top form of his career but still ignored by the selectors.
Also Read: Top 5 Highest Run-Getters In Vijay Hazare Trophy: But Here’s A Catch, All Of Them Are Ignored…
Huge Backlash After India’s Champions Trophy Squad Released
After the squad was released, fans were furious with the selection process and raised questions over picking out of form players in the squad despite have a talent pool that could’ve done wonders and is left waiting for single opportunity.
if karun nair keeps playing like this bcci will create a new rule stating no player can score too many domestic runs and put pressure on us
— vishal dayama (@VishalDayama) January 17, 2025
Most Unluckiest Batsmen in the History of Indian Cricket.
— Sachin Tripathi (@Sachincrickinfo) January 19, 2025
– Scored 3 Centuries in last 5 Matches
– 50+ Average in ODI Format
– T20I World Cup Winner
– Scored Hundred in South Africa
Still you are not in the squad.
Being Sanju Samson is not Easy. pic.twitter.com/33dQuEdD1c
The exclusion of Sanju Samson and Karun Nair from the ODI squad highlights a long-standing waste of talent in Indian cricket, often driven by egoistic attitudes, favoritism, regionalism, and internal politics. #SanjuSamson #KarunNair https://t.co/BWhC5SO4Fa
— Dushyant Singh Baghel (@DushyantSBaghel) January 19, 2025
Shashi Tharoor Raises Big Question
One of the biggest backlash came from Indian politician Shashi Tharoor, he ripped apart the selection process and openly questioned why was Samson dropped despite informing Kerala Cricket Association about his absence from Vijay Hazare Trophy before hand. In his social media post on X (Formerly Twitter) he wrote:
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 between the SMA and the Vijay Hazare Trophy tournaments, and was promptly dropped from the squad — has now resulted in Sanju’s exclusion from the Indian team. A batsman who has a highest score of 212* in the Hazare, who averages 56.66 in ODIs for India (including a century in his last outing, against South Africa) is having his career destroyed by the egos of cricket administrators. Doesn’t it bother the KCA bosses that by leaving Sanju out, they ensured Kerala didn’t even reach the quarter-finals of the Hazare? Where does this leave him?
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 between the SMA and the Vijay Hazare Trophy tournaments, and was promptly dropped from the squad — has now resulted in…
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 18, 2025
The Champions Trophy will be beginning from February 19 and India will play their first match in Dubai against Bangladesh on February 20.
