'They have something against my child' - Sanju Samson's father blames KCA following Champions Trophy squad snub
"There are people within KCA who have something against my child, we’ve never spoken out against the association before, but this time, it’s become too much," Samson Vishwanath said.
Cricketer Sanju Samson had marked his unavailability for Kerala's preparatory camp ahead of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2024-25, which resulted in him being dropped for the tournament by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA). Subsequently, his non-participation in the domestic tournament also became a reason for India selectors to ignore the wicketkeeper-batter for the Champions Trophy 2025 squad, where Rishabh Pant was preferred instead.
The entire episode has turned into a series of controversies, as the KCA recently clarified why they didn't pick Samson for the 50-over tournament, despite being in red-hot form. Notably, Sanju was expected to represent Kerala on the back of a stellar series against Bangladesh at home, followed by the tour of South Africa. Following the state association's statement, the cricketer's father Samson Vishwanath has come in defence of the son, slamming the board with allegations.
“There are people within KCA who have something against my child, we’ve never spoken out against the association before, but this time, it’s become too much. Sanju isn’t the only one who didn’t attend the camp, yet other players in the same situation were allowed to play,” the father was quoted as saying by Mathrubhumi English.
“It’s not about Jayesh George (KCA president) or Vinod S Kumar (Board Secretary); it’s some small people in between who turn everything into poison over trivial matters, We are sportsmen, not interested in the business of sports. All I want is for my son to be given a fair chance to play. If there’s any mistake, we’re open to discussion and ready to fix it,” he added.
Also Read: IND vs ENG 2025: Top 3 Players to watch out for in upcoming T20I series
Meanwhile, Samson will next be seen donning the international duties for the upcoming T20I series against England. The stumper-batter is expected to open alongside Abhishek Sharma, and will be looking to continue his form in the shortest format of the game to score crucial runs for India. The ace cricketer was the Player of the Series on the South Africa tour, and a similar performance can be expected from Samson in the England series as well.
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