Former India pacer slams selectors for picking Shivam Dube over Sanju Samson

Former Indian pacer Dodda Ganesh has voiced his disappointment with the BCCI for selecting Shivam Dube over Sanju Samson for the ODI squad chosen for the Sri Lanka series.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced the squads for the upcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, set to begin on July 27. 

The selection decisions have sparked considerable discussion among fans and experts alike.

Contrary to prior speculation, Rohit Sharma will continue to lead the Indian ODI side. Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed the new T20I captain, with Shubman Gill, who shone during the Zimbabwe series and was named vice-captain for both formats. 

This reshuffling sees Hardik Pandya stepping back from the T20I captaincy role for now.

The BCCI's decisions have sparked controversy, particularly the exclusion of Sanju Samson from the ODI squad. Samson, who was in excellent form during India's recent ODI series against South Africa and scored a century in the series decider, has seen his omission raise questions about the selection criteria.

Replacing Samson is Shivam Dube, a member of India's T20 World Cup-winning team. This move has faced criticism, with some experts arguing that Samson's recent performances merited his inclusion over Dube.

Former India pacer Dodda Ganesh took to X to express his disapproval, stating, “Shivam Dube in place of Sanju Samson in the ODIs is ridiculous. Poor Sanju scored a century in his last series against SA. Why him always? My heart goes out to this young man.”

India's squads for Sri Lanka series

T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Ꮪhubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj.

ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.

IND vs SL Schedule:

T20I Series:

1st T20I: July 27 - 6:30 PM - Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele
2nd T20I: July 28 - 6:30 PM - Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele
3rd T20I: July 30 - 6:30 PM - Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele

ODI Series:

1st ODI: August 2 - 2:00 PM - R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo
2nd ODI: August 4 - 2:00 PM - R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo
3rd ODI: August 7 - 2:00 PM - R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo