Ajinkya Rahane has voiced his surprise over the omission of wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson from India's T20I squad for the upcoming Zimbabwe tour. In an Instagram Story, Rahane backed Samson and expressed hope that the selectors had communicated the decision to the player.
Rahane's Instagram Post
"Hope there has been some communication with @imsanjusamson. Find it odd that the hero of our recent T20 WC win has been left out of the T20 squad to Zimbabwe. Hope to see him back in the team soon," Rahane wrote on his Instagram Story.
Samson's Contributions in T20 World Cup
Rahane's remarks came after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the 15-member squad for the three-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, which did not include Samson despite his contributions during India's successful ICC T20 World Cup campaign.
India's Squad for Zimbabwe T20Is
The BCCI on July 6 announced the squad, with Ashok Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, and Yash Thakur earning their maiden India call-ups. Shreyas Iyer will captain the side, while Tilak Varma serves as vice-captain. The squad includes Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Shivam Dube, Suryansh Shedge, Rinku Singh, Harsh Dubey, Varun Chakaravarthy, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, and Prabhsimran Singh (wicketkeeper).
Series Schedule
The T20I series between India and Zimbabwe will start from July 23. The first T20I is scheduled for July 23, the second on July 25, and the third on July 26, all to be played in Harare.
