In an ideal world, a batting average of 55.71 would unquestionably secure a spot in the national team for the One Day International (ODI) format. However, the cricketing landscape isn’t operating under usual circumstances, especially for wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson. Despite his exceptional performances in the 50-over format for the Indian team across 13 games, Samson finds himself on the sidelines, not only missing out on the ODI World Cup but also the upcoming 3-match series against Australia. The decision has sparked criticism from his loyal fan base, and even former cricketing legends are expressing sympathy for his predicament.

One such former cricketer, Robin Uthappa, who played a pivotal role in India’s T20 World Cup victory in 2007, empathizes with Sanju Samson’s current situation. Uthappa’s recent social media post, shared on X (formerly Twitter), garnered significant attention after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the Indian squad for the ODI series against Australia. In a tweet, Uthappa expressed, “No one would want to be in Sanju’s shoes right now!!”

He further delved into the issue in another tweet, stating, “The justification could be that even if he was in the squad, he wouldn’t get a game. But not even being in the squad would be quite disheartening.”