Sanju Samson to Play ODIs Ahead of T20 World Cup as Kerala Squad Announced for Vijay Hazare Trophy

Sanju Samson has been included in Kerala's Vijay Hazare Trophy team. Alongside him, the team also features experienced players MD Nidheesh and Vishnu Vinod. Young spinner Vignesh Puthur has also been given an opportunity.

Sanju Samson, Kerala Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 Squad: Indian wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson will be seen playing for Kerala in the domestic one-day tournament Vijay Hazare Trophy (VHT) before the upcoming T20 World Cup. The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) announced the team for the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Sunday, in which Samson has been included. Meanwhile, the captaincy of the team has been handed over to young batsman Rohan Kunnummal.

Exclusion due to controversy

Last year, Samson was not included in the Vijay Hazare Trophy team due to a dispute with the KCA. Now he has a golden opportunity to make a comeback in the ODI team by performing brilliantly in this domestic tournament. This is especially true because Rishabh Pant, who is playing the role of backup wicketkeeper in ODIs, has a very weak record in the limited-overs format. On the other hand, Sanju Samson's average in ODI career is more than 56, which includes one century and three half-centuries.

Players included besides Sanju

Besides Sanju, experienced players MD Nidhish and Vishnu Vinod are also included in the team. Young spinner Vighnesh Puthur has also been given an opportunity, who drew everyone's attention with his impressive performance for Mumbai Indians (MI) in IPL 2025. Kerala has been placed in Group E this time, where it will face strong teams like Tripura, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu.

Disappointing season for Kerala

Kerala's performance in domestic tournaments has been disappointing this season. The team could not advance beyond the group stage in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, and their performance in the Ranji Trophy also did not meet expectations. Now, the team will try to improve its image by performing better in the 50-over format.

Kerala's Vijay Hazare Trophy Team:

Rohan Kunnummal (Captain), Sanju Samson, Vishnu Vinod (Wicketkeeper), Mohammed Azharuddeen (Wicketkeeper), Ahmed Imran, Salman Nizar, Abhishek J. Nair, Krishna Prasad, Akhil Scaria, Abhijith Praveen V, Biju Narayanan, Ankit Sharma, Baba Aparajith, Vighnesh Puthur, Nidhish MD, Asif KM, Abhishek P. Nair, Sharafuddeen NM, Eden Apple Tom.