'What About Sanju Samson?' Shashi Tharoor Wades Into KL Rahul Selection Debate

Samson has been in contention for a place in India's limited-overs side but hasn't been given a long rope that someone like KL Rahul has enjoyed. The 28-year-old averages 66 from 10 ODI innings.

It isn't the first time that Tharoor has advocated for Samson.

Source : AFP

There is no dearth of cricketing talent in India. It won't be an exaggeration to call it the soul of the sport. While there are lots of talented cricketers, only a few get to represent India. And even then not enough. One needs t perform day in and day out to continue to be part of the team. 

The moment your performance drops, there are many others waiting in the queue to get their opportunities. However, as it seems, the Indian team management and selectors have persisted with KL Rahul trusting his talent and ability which he has shown at the biggest stage in the past.

While runs have deserted him in T20Is and Test matches in the recent months, Rahul is still part of the Test team. Questioning his place in the side when somebody like a Shubman Gill, who has been in peak form in white-ball cricket is waiting for his chance, journalist Shekhar Gupta had tweeted: "Indian cricket became the tops in the world when it became a clinical, unemotional and unbiased meritocracy. This must’ve changed if KL Rahul can keep his place, averaging just about 25 in 49 Test innings at the top order since 2017. While Gill waits. Merit, anybody?"

However, Member of Parliament from Thiruvananthapuram,  Shashi Tharoor, has pulled in his state's cricketing talent and Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson's name into the debate. "And what about @IamSanjuSamson ? Averaging 76 in ODIs and yet again omitted from the ODI squad against Australia. It’s all very well to give non-performers a long rope but surely not at the expense of talented performers," he tweeted.

And what about @IamSanjuSamson ? Averaging 76 in ODIs and yet again omitted from the ODI squad against Australia. It’s all very well to give non-performers a long rope but surely not at the expense of talented performers? https://t.co/tg56JJMTue

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 21, 2023

It isn't for the first time that Tharoor has advocated for Samson. He has time and again spoken for the cricketer who was born in  Pulluvila, a coastal village near Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala. Samson is one of the names who has been in contention for a place in the Playing 11 in white-ball formats but is not a regular starter for now.

As far as Rahul is concerned, he was not named the vice-captain for the third and the fourth Test matches which might indicate that India might bench him for the last two Test matches of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The third Test match of the series commences on March 1 at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore.