Massive Setback For Sanju Samson, Unlikely To Be Part Of Champions Trophy Squad For This Reason: Report. (Photo: BCCI)
The Indian squad for the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy could be revealed on January 19. Except for India’s matches, which will be held in Dubai, the rest of the tournament is set to be hosted by Pakistan.
As per reports, Sanju Samson is unlikely to be in contention for a spot in the Champions Trophy squad. As per PTI, Rishabh Pant will be the preferred choice behind the wicket while KL Rahul will be in the squad as a specialist batter.
Pant returned to the India colours in the T20 World Cup and played a central role as Rohit Sharma lifted his maiden ICC title in South Africa in the West Indies. Samson decided to skip the Vijay Hazare Trophy and it could be the reason behind his snub for the upcoming marquee ICC event.
Samson will be entangled in a three way fight for the wicketkeeper spot with Dhruv Jurel and Ishan Kishan also in the contention for a place in that flight to Dubai. ICC had set a deadline of January 12 for the announcement of provisional squad while teams will be allowed to make changes until February 13.
India will open their Champions Trophy campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 while the big ticket clash against Pakistan will be held on February 23 in Dubai.
As per the report, Jurel could be Pant’s understudy in both Test and ODIs while Samson will be preferred in the shortest format. Samson was also a part of the T20 World Cup winning squad but did not feature in a single game.
The Champions Trophy is returning after a seven year hiatus and the Men In Blue will be one of the favourites for the title.
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