Since he was passed over and was not selected for the Indian T20 World Cup 2022 squad, Sanju Samson has become the most talked-about cricketer in the Indian circuit. The cricketer from Kerala, who was recently chosen for the T20I and ODI series against New Zealand, was unexpectedly pulled from the Bangladesh series (ODI) before he had a chance to establish himself. Ishan Kishan and Rajat Patidar, who were not included in the ODI team against the Kiwis, were instead chosen by the Indian management.
Simon Doull, a former cricketer who is now a commentator, is perplexed by the choice and questions the Indian management’s motivation. The 53-year-old feels that before testing other players, the Men in Blue should give Samson more opportunities. “Sanju Samson is good enough to play and they are leaving him out. Why are they taking Rajat Patidar?” Doull said.
Patidar, who has a strong domestic track record for Madhya Pradesh, was initially selected for the ODI series against South Africa in October. Even with all the big names returning, the 29-year-old has reclaimed his position for Bangladesh’s ODI leg of the tour despite not being given a chance in the playing XI. Due to a shoulder issue, veteran bowler Mohammed Shami will not play in the ODI series against Bangladesh. If he doesn’t recover in time, the 32-year-old might also miss the two Test matches in the series.
Umran Malik, a talented bowler, has been called up to the ODI squad to take Shami’s spot.
According to BCCI, Shami is “at the NCA, Bengaluru, currently under the care of the BCCI Medical Team.” Due to his inability to recover in time, Ravindra Jadeja will also miss the ODI series along with Shami. For the ODI series, Shahbaz Ahmed has been named as Jadeja’s replacement. For the two-match Test series, Saurabh Kumar is also expected to take over for Jadeja.