Asia Cup 2023: Sanju Samson returns home after KL Rahul joins Indian squad

Sanju Samson has been sent home from Sri Lanka after KL Rahul joined the Indian cricket team squad for the Asia Cup. Samson was picked as KL Rahul’s backup and a travelling reserve.

KL Rahul had missed the opening two matches of the Asia Cup group stage, against Pakistan and Nepal, and there is still no certainty over the Super 4 stage either. However, there are positive signs after KL Rahul spent a lengthy period in wicketkeeping duties in the nets on Friday.

As per reports, once KL Rahul joined back and proved his fitness in the nets on Thursday and Friday, Samson was asked to return home.

“Sanju Samson is sent back after KL joined the squad. Samson has been released from the squad as he was travelling with the team as a stand-by player,” a BCCI source told news agency ANI.

With KL Rahul joining the Indian team, and potentially slotting into the playing XI, Ishan Kishan will now become his backup option. Kishan has made a positive impact in KL’s absence by scoring four consecutive half-centuries.

In other updates from the nets session that began outdoor before rain intervened, Jasprit Bumrah joined in after the birth of his son. The seamer had returned to Mumbai to be with his wife.

Indian team also paid special emphasis on training against left-arm seamers to counter the threat posed by Pakistan’s Shaheen Shah Afridi who took four wickets, including those of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, earlier in the continental tournament.