'Aap Sanju Samson ko jawab kya denge?' - Aakash Chopra questions selectors' logic behind wicketkeeper's exclusion from Bangladesh tour

Former cricketer Aakash Chopra has expressed his disappointment after Sanju Samson got ignored by the selectors for the upcoming Bangladesh series starting December 4. Samson who made his debut way back in 2015 has been in and out of the national team and has only made sporadic appearances so far.

Apart from Sanju Samson, Chopra also wondered why the likes of Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, etc. are being sent back to India instead of playing in the Bangladesh ODIs. At the same time, the versatile cricket pundit has also urged the selectors to give Suryakumar Yadav a break as he has been playing continuously for the last few months.

 Wow, can something like this happen?: Aakash Chopra

"When the series ends, nine (eight) players will go back home. The remaining will go to Bangladesh. You have changed 12 players from one series to another. 11 new players are joining (for the Bangladesh ODIs). Wow, can something like this happen?,” Chopra said while speaking on his YouTube channel.

"If genuinely you have given someone rest then that is SKY. He has been playing a lot of cricket. But what about Sanju Samson? He too is not going to Bangladesh. Ishan Kishan will go. Kishan, who was only there for the T20 leg of the New Zealand tour but wasn't a part of the ODI squad, Samson was,” he added.

“When you see so many changes in the ODI squad, you feel like how does it make sense? Aap Shubman Gill ko kya batane walo ho? Aap Deepak Hooda ko kya bolenge? Aap Sanju Samson ko jawab kya denge? (What answers will you give to Shubman Gill, Sanju Samson and Deepak Hooda?) If you don't wanna play Kuldeep Chahal together then why do you pick them? If you do, then play them," the cricketer-turned-cricket pundit further added.

Samson, who was selected as one of the wicketkeepers along with Rishabh Pant, was made to warm the bench throughout the New Zealand  T20Is. Even though he did get to play in the first ODI and scored a vital 36 runs off 38 balls, the middle-order batter was once again benched for the second game.

This invited a lot of criticism from the Indian fans on social media. It now remains to be seen whether Samson will get to play in the series-deciding third ODI at Christchurch on Wednesday, November 30.