Sanju Samson Marks His Presence With India's ODI World Cup Squad In Thiruvananthapuram
Team India at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, for a practise match against the Netherlands in the lead-up to the Cricket World Cup.
Sanju Samson, a superb wicket-keeper batter, was left out of India's Cricket World Cup 2023 roster, sparking heated debate among cricket fans and analysts.
While he was named to the Asia Cup 2023 team as a backup player, he did not play any games and was forced to return home before the final versus Sri Lanka.
The context of this omission adds to the mystery. India was at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, for a practise match against the Netherlands before of the Cricket World Cup. Surprisingly, there was a large poster of Sanju Samson at the practise location.
Samson turned to social media to share a photo of the billboard and convey his heartfelt support for his teammates, writing, "With Team India @ Gods own country!!"
Mother Nature's unpredictability, however, hindered the cricketing activity. India's celebrity cricketers travelled 3,400 kilometres across the nation to play a World Cup warm-up match against the Netherlands in Thiruvananthapuram, only to have the game cancelled owing to excessive weather. This tragic turn of events angered both teams.
Rain had already hampered cricketing preparations, thus this was not an uncommon incidence. The scheduled warm-up match between India and defending champions England in Guwahati was also cancelled.
In total, three warm-up matches were cancelled due to bad weather, while three others were hampered by rain, posing obstacles for teams and players just days before the tournament's start.
The Netherlands, too, experienced disappointment with two washouts, including a game versus Australia that was called off due to rain. Fortunately for them, this match, like India's, was also held in Thiruvananthapuram, saving them the trouble of travelling to a different location.
Despite the rain-soaked warm-up matches, the weather prognosis for the forthcoming event in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Dharamsala was more optimistic, with sunlight rather than showers expected.
With the Cricket World Cup approaching, spectators and teams alike anticipated for brighter skies and unbroken cricketing activity as the event began.