Sanju Samson in trouble ahead of ICC Champions Trophy 2025; BCCI to probe India star’s domestic no-show post SMAT

India's Sanju Samson has put himself in trouble ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 after wicketkeeper-batter the ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy for Kerala. The development comes in at a time when BCCI has made it mandatory for all the players to play domestic cricket when not in national duty to be considered for selection in the Indian team and for BCCI's central contracts.

The last time Samson played a competitive cricket match was on December 3, 2024, when Kerala played Andhra Pradesh in a Group E clash at the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy.

According to a TOI report, the BCCI top brass and the selectors aren't happy with Samson skipper the 50-over domestic tourney. The report also added that Samson made himself unavailable for the Kerala preparatory camp before the tournament.

Where was Sanju Samson after SMAT? The right-hander was recently seen at the Rajasthan Royals high-performance centre in Nagpur. The franchise has started preparations for the upcoming Indian Premier League under the watchful eyes of head coach Rahul Dravid. Samson was seen interacting with Dravid as the duo shared a light moment. However, post SMAT, Samson was seen holidaying in the United Arab Emirates with his wife

Will Samson be selected in Champions Trophy? Samson, who last played for India against South Africa, in December last year, has been named in India's T20I squad for the five-match series against England which starts on January 22 at home. It is believed that the India's ODI squad which will play England is likely to play in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Dubai.

However, it is yet to clear if the 30-year-old will be able to make the cut for ICC Champions Trophy. With KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant in the picture, Samson's entry into the ODI setup looks a bit tough. For the unversed, Samson has scored two T20I centuries against South Africa during India's tour last year.

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