“Sanju Samson in place of SKY chahiye tha” - Fans react as wicketkeeper-batter ignored in India squad for 2023 ODI World Cup

Sanju Samson was overlooked as the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s chief selector Ajit Agarkar announced India’s squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup. The selection panel ignored the wicketkeeper-batter for Suryakumar Yadav in the 50-over tournament.

The development comes even as Samson has fared better than Yadav in the 50-over format so far. The former has amassed 390 runs in 12 innings at an average of 55.71, including three half-centuries. Yadav, on the other hand, has scored 511 runs in 24 innings at a below-par average of 24.33, including two half-centuries.

Fans on X (formerly known as Twitter) expressed their disappointment at Sanju Samson missing out on a place in India’s squad for the 2023 ODI World Cup. One user wrote:

“Sanju Samson in place of SKY chahiye tha (Needed Sanju Samson in place of SKY)."

Here are some of the other best reactions:

India’s squad for 2023 ODI World Cup

Besides Samson, Tilak Varma and Prasidh Krishna, too, were excluded from the side. The selectors have picked Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ishan Kishan, and Suryakumar Yadav for the middle order.

Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, and Mohammed Siraj have been picked to bolster the bowling unit. Kuldeep Yadav has been included as a specialist spinner.

The Men in Blue have included all-rounders Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, and Shardul Thakur to add batting depth.

Rohit Sharma and Co. are scheduled to play two warmup games against England and the Netherlands on September 30 and October 3, respectively, ahead of the tournament. India will then begin their 2023 ODI World Cup campaign against five-time champions Australia at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on October 8.

Indian squad for World Cup: Rohit Sharma (Captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (vice-captain), Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj.

Click here to check out the full schedule of the 2023 ODI World Cup.