Jitesh Sharma in T20I Australia series over Sanju Samson has Samson fans furious all over again

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced the squad for the five-match T20I series against Australia, stirring dissatisfaction among fans due to the omission of a particular player.

Wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson has been excluded, while Jitesh Sharma finds himself included in the side, prompting widespread discontent among supporters.

Sanju Samson's continuous oversight by the BCCI's selection committee has irked fans, especially following India's distressing loss to Australia in the World Cup final.

Fans express outrage at selectors

Numerous users on social media platforms, particularly X (formerly Twitter), voiced criticism toward the BCCI for not affording Samson an opportunity, citing his outstanding performances in domestic cricket over recent months.

One fan tweeted, "An average life is called Sanju Samson. Full of intent, effort, struggle, and skills. But lack of opportunity luck and validated success."

An average life is called “Sanju Samson”.

Full of intent, Effort, struggle and skills. But lack opportunity, luck and validated success. pic.twitter.com/8hIYHd8nZu

— Prabhat Kumar (@KrPrabh) November 21, 2023

Another expressed, "It’s high time Sanju Samson should retire himself to play for USA, Netherlands or Ireland and face India as captain in ODI World Cup 2027."

Sanju Samson once again not picked for for T20I series against India. Players out of no where coming into the setup to replace him.

It's high time Sanju Samson should retire himself to play for USA, Netherlands or Ireland and face India as captain in ODI World Cup 2027.… pic.twitter.com/VI9BTRMi1X

— Himanshu Pareek (@Sports_Himanshu) November 20, 2023

Why are the fans so upset?

• The fans are upset mainly because Sanju Samson has been consistently overlooked for selection in the Indian team for an extended period.
• Despite making his T20 debut in 2015, the 29-year-old has played only 24 T20Is in eight years, accumulating 374 runs at a strike-rate of 133.57.
• Samson's last T20I appearance was in August 2023 against Ireland, where he scored 40 off 26 balls.
• On the other hand, Jitesh Sharma made his T20I debut just last month at the Asian Games and has participated in only three international matches thus far.
• Although Sharma grabbed attention in 2022 with his debut for Punjab Kings as a wicket-keeper batter, he continued his form into 2023, scoring 309 runs in 14 matches with an impressive strike-rate of 163.64.
• However, in the same number of matches, Samson scored 362 runs at a strike-rate of 153.39, averaging 30.17, indicating a slightly better performance.

Performance in domestic cricket

In domestic cricket, both Sanju Samson and Jitesh Sharma have delivered average performances. However, Samson's numbers slightly outshine Sharma's. In his last seven innings, Sharma scored a total of 112 runs, whereas Samson amassed 178 runs, including two half-centuries. Samson's average of 25.42 across seven innings surpasses Sharma's scores of 0, 8, 55, 52, 22, 1, and 40.

Disappointed fans

The disappointment among fans escalated after India's loss in the World Cup final against Australia on November 19, 2023, where the entire team underperformed against the Kangaroos. Criticism was directed at Suryakaumar Yadav for his lackluster performance throughout the tournament, especially during the finals. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) further aggravated fans by appointing Suryakumar Yadav as the skipper for the T20I series, sidelining Samson, who captained the IPL team Rajasthan Royals for the last three seasons.

The upcoming five-match T20I series starting on November 23, 2023, in India will be a significant test for Yadav to maintain his position in the team amid fans' discontentment.