India's wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has been excluded from the upcoming Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament due to his absence from Kerala's preparatory camp. This decision follows closely on the heels of his leadership role in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy tournament, where he captained the team.

In the domestic T20 competition, Kerala secured third place in Group E, trailing behind the eventual champions, Mumbai, and Andhra.

Although Samson was included in the preliminary list of 30 players for the Vijay Hazare Trophy, he was ultimately not selected for the tournament. His non-attendance at Kerala's training camp, which included two practice matches at the Krishnagiri Stadium in Wayanad, led to the selectors naming a 19-man squad.

'There has been no further discussion with Samson'

In an interview with the Indian Express, KCA secretary Vinod S Kumar disclosed that Sanju Samson had previously informed the state association via email of his unavailability for the training camp, which resulted in his exclusion from the selection. He also acknowledged that there had been no communication with Samson after the announcement of the squad on Tuesday.

"Sanju communicated through an email that he would not be attending the camp. Consequently, the team conducted a brief training session in Wayanad without his participation. As a result, we only considered those who attended the sessions for selection. There has been no subsequent dialogue with him regarding this issue," he stated.

With Samson, who last played a 50-over match during India's tour of South Africa in December 2023 and achieved his first international century, aiming for a spot in India's Champions Trophy squad, this development could represent a significant obstacle.

In Samson's absence, Salman Nazir has been appointed as the captain of Kerala following his commendable performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament.

Kerala squad: Salman Nizar (captain), Rohan S Kunnummal, Shoun Roger, Mohammed Azharuddeen M (wk), Anand Krishnan, Krishna Prasad, Ahammed Imran, Jalaj Saxena, Aditya Sarvate, Sijomon Joseph, Basil Thampi, Basil N P, Nidheesh MD, Eden Apple Tom, Sharafuddeen NM, Akhil Scaria, Vishweshwar Suresh, Vaishak Chandran, Ajnas M (WK).

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