BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar gave a clear-cut answer to a difficult question regarding Sanju Samson’s absence from the India squad for the Sri Lanka ODI series. Samson, who is part of the T20I squad, was not picked in ODIs, despite him scoring a ton in his last 50-over international.
Speaking to the media alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir before the team's departure to Sri Lanka, Agarkar had more questions about individuals who were overlooked by the selection committee than those who were chosen.
When queried about the absence of Sanju Samson, Ruturaj Gaikwad, and Abhishek Sharma, Agarkar responded simply, saying he couldn't fit everyone on a 15-man roster.
The three of Samson, Gaikwad, and Abhishek performed admirably for India on their trip to Zimbabwe. While Abhishek and Gaikwad were left out of the Sri Lanka tour, Samson was unable to get a berth in India's ODI squad despite making a century in his most recent 50-over encounter.
"Every player who's left out feels hard done by. Our challenge is to pick only 15. You try and get the best balance possible. So someone's likely to miss out. Sometimes, they have had decent performances in recent times but you've got to see who is picked ahead of them. Are those guys not deserving of their place? If that's the case, then there are things to discuss," Agarkar said in the press conference.
Agarkar gave the example of Rinku Singh, who despite being excellent in T20Is, missed out on the main India squad for the T20 World Cup 2024. Rinku was picked as one of the four traveling reserves for the tournament.
"We had an opportunity to give some of those guys a go in the Zimbabwe series, which was good. So, we have enough depth if tomorrow there is a loss of form for the players that are playing or there are injuries.
But it's tough. I mean Rinku for no fault of his missed out on the World Cup, it's an example. He had a terrific [run in the] T20 leading up to the World Cup. But sometimes it's just the way it goes. Unfortunately for us as well, it is difficult to fit everyone in the fifteen," Agarkar explained.
