28-year-old talented Indian batter, Sanju Samson, has been struggling to get a good run of games with team India. And this has perplexed and also upset many fans across the nation since the Kerala batter can offer a lot at the top to the national side, and his frequent deselection is almost inexplicable.
A lot of fans and former players have showered their support for Samson for the treatment he has been receiving from the team and the management. Most expected him to make the India squad for the 20-20 World Cup 2022 in Australia but was agonisingly snubbed. He is currently with the Indian camp for T20Is and ODIs for the ongoing New Zealand tour.
Samson featured in the first ODI but was benched for the second. And this displeased several fans with thousands of them slating the Indian management on social media for the mistreatment of the 28-year-old batter. This does not end with social media; this has even reached the football fans in Qatar watching the ongoing 2022 FIFA World Cup.
‘We are with you Sanju Samson’
Images of a fan holding hoardings with the message, “Lots of love from Qatar. We support you”, and another group of fans with the message, “Regardless of match, the team, or the player, we are with you…”, goes viral.
You can keep him out of the team,
— Rahul_Sanju (@rawhul9) November 27, 2022
but you can't keep him out of my heart🫀
Because Sanju is an Emotion ❤️#sanjusamson pic.twitter.com/tpEQvfp0zE
Samson made his India debut in 2015 in a T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare. He made his ODI debut in 2021 against Sri Lanka in Colombo. Since then, he has played only 16 T20Is and 11 ODIs. Despite being at the receiving end of constant chopping and changing, he has scored 296 runs in T20Is at a strike rate of 135.15 and an average of 21.14. He also has 330 runs in ODIs at an average of 66 and a strike rate of 104.76.
In his previous game, which was in the first ODI against New Zealand at Auckland, he came in at an unnatural number six position and scored a crucial 36 to help India reach 306. The match, however, ended in a 7-wicket defeat for the Men in Blue. The second game was washed out due to rain, and it remains to see if the Kerala batter would feature in the final ODI.