Former national selector Kris Srikkanth has criticized the selection committee’s decision to choose Dhruv Jurel over Sanju Samson as the backup wicketkeeper for India’s upcoming three-match ODI series against Australia. Srikkanth expressed concerns about the fairness of the selection process, particularly noting that Samson had scored a century in his last ODI appearance against South Africa in 2023.The selection controversy emerged after the announcement of India’s ODI squad for the Australia series, which begins on October 19 in Perth. Jurel, who recently scored a century in the first Test against the West Indies, has been selected as KL Rahul’s backup wicketkeeper.Chief selector Ajit Agarkar’s explanation for Samson’s exclusion centered on him being a top-order batsman. However, this reasoning appears to contradict Samson’s recent batting positions and performance record.
Samson’s ODI statistics show he has predominantly batted in the middle order. In 16 ODI appearances, he has scored 347 runs in 11 innings between positions 4-6, maintaining an average of 57.83 with three half-centuries.“Again, very unfair. Sanju should have been there, considering he scored a century in his last ODI. So, every day, the reason for change keeps shifting for each individual. One day you make him bat at 5, then another day you make him open,” Srikkanth stated on his YouTube channel.“Sometimes you send him at 7 or 8. How did Dhruv Jurel suddenly come in? Sanju may or may not feature in the 11, but he has to be given the first right of refusal,” Srikkanth added.The selection committee’s decisions have raised questions about consistency in team selection and player management. Despite Samson’s century in his last ODI and his proven ability to bat in various positions, he finds himself outside the squad.“By making such selections constantly, they are confusing the players themselves. Even though we aren’t sure every day what the selection will be. Suddenly, Yashasvi Jaiswal is there, and then the next minute he won’t be there,” Srikkanth observed.“By chopping and changing all the time, they’ll dent the confidence of the players,” he further commented.The announced Indian ODI squad for the Australia series includes Shubman Gill as captain, with players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Dhruv Jurel, and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
