Netizens trend 'Justice for Sanju Samson' after Royals maverick snubbed again in 3rd T20I

Indian cricketer Sanju Samson had to face the axe from the playing XI yet again, as he was left out of the team that faced New Zealand in the 3rd T20I on Tuesday. Heading into the final T20I of the three-match series, skipper Hardik Pandya decided to make only one change in the squad, as Harshal Patel replaced all-rounder Washington Sundar. While the match kicked off at McLean Park in Napier, Indian cricket fans revealed their disappointment with Samson being ignored by the team on a regular basis. 

Despite proving his mettle as an explosive batsman who returns with match-winning knocks on numerous occasions, the 28-year-old has warmed the bench on most occasions. He has played only six T20Is for India this year and has returned with 179 runs in total, scoring at a strike rate of 158.40. He has scored runs at an average of 44.75 and has also registered a fifty on one occasion.

Why are netizens trending #JusticeForSanjuSamson?

On not finding Samson’s name in the playing XI for the final T20I on Tuesday, Indian cricket fans reacted to his omission. While ‘#JusticeForSanjuSamson’ started trending on the social media website, a fan noticed that Sanju Samson has been a trend since four days. “Earlier, the captain said that, 'all youngsters will have the opportunity to show their talents.' Then, why is Sanju Samson not in the eleven??,” a fan wrote on Twitter. Meanwhile, there were several other reactions by fans about Samson not playing for India.

Indian top order fails miserably against Kiwis

It is pertinent to mention that the Indian top order failed miserably against the Kiwis in the third T20I as none of the top four batters even crossed the 15-run mark. Openers Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant scored 10 and 11 runs respectively, while last game’s centurion Suryakumar Yadav hit 13 runs off 10 balls. At the same time, the No. 4 batsman Shreyas Iyer was dismissed on a golden duck.

Sanju Samson’s overall T20I stats in 2022

Apart from T20Is, the Kerala batsman played six games in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2022 for his domestic side and amassed 160 runs, while registering two fifties. In the meantime, he led Rajasthan Royals into the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 finals, riding high on stunning form. He was among the top 10 run scorers in the tournament with 458 runs in 17 games, at a strike rate of 146.79.