'BCCI came under so much pressure': Danish Kaneria reacts after Sanju Samson's appointment as India A skipper

Star Indian wicketkeeper Sanju Samson was unlucky to miss out on a place in the Indian team for the upcoming edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The right-handed wicketkeeper-batter was in contention after his good show in IPL 2022 and the series against Ireland, West Indies, and Zimbabwe, but was not considered. After failing to make the T20 World Cup squad, Sanju was included in the India A squad for the upcoming three-match white-ball series against New Zealand A in Chennai, and he was also given leadership responsibilities.

After the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squad for the "A" series, former Pakistani spinner Danish Kaneria, via a video uploaded on his YouTube channel, explained why Sanju was made the captain of the India A team. Kaneria said that the Indian selectors were facing flack for snubbing Samson from India’s T20 World Cup squad. According to the 41-year-old, Samson's non-selection in the T20 World Cup squad paved the way for him to lead the India A side.

"Sanju has a great fan following. His batting style in Australia gives you an X-factor. On bouncy wickets, nobody plays better than Sanju... Sanju has now been made India A captain (against New Zealand). BCCI came under so much pressure (for not selecting Sanju Samson for the T20 World Cup), that Sanju was handed the captaincy of India A," Kaneria said on his YouTube channel.

"That's a pride, whenever you captain a national team, be it in any category. This is the best opportunity for Sanju Samson. "It would be great if he could win the series for India A as captain."

The three-match series against New Zealand A will start on September 22 in Chennai, and the Samson-led squad has a fair amount of experience in its ranks. The inclusion of Prithvi Shaw, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi, Rajat Patidar, and Kuldeep Yadav provides strength to the Indian team.

India A squad: Prithvi Shaw, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rahul Tripathi, Rajat Patidar, Sanju Samson (Captain), KS Bharat (wicket-keeper), Kuldeep Yadav, Shabhaz Ahmed, Rahul Chahar, Tilak Varma, Kuldeep Sen, Shardul Thakur, Umran Malik, Navdeep Saini, Raj Angad Bawa.