• Source:JND
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Sanju Samson, the talented wicket-keeper batter, found himself at the center of discussions among cricket fans and experts when he was left out of India's Cricket World Cup 2023 squad. While he was included in the Asia Cup 2023 squad as a backup player, he did not get a chance to play any matches and had to return home before the final against Sri Lanka.

The backdrop to this exclusion added to the intrigue. During the build-up to the Cricket World Cup, India was in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, for a practice match against the Netherlands. Interestingly, there was a prominent poster of Sanju Samson at the practice venue. Samson took to his social media accounts to share a picture of the poster and express his support for his teammates with a heartwarming message, saying, "With Team India @ Gods own country !!"

Check out the post here:

 
 
 
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A post shared by Sanju V Samson (@imsanjusamson)

However, the cricketing action was marred by mother nature's unpredictability. India's superstar cricketers had embarked on a 3,400-kilometer cross-country journey to play a World Cup warm-up match against the Netherlands in Thiruvananthapuram, only for the game to be abandoned without a single ball bowled due to torrential rain. This unfortunate turn of events left both teams frustrated.

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This wasn't an isolated incident, as rain had disrupted cricketing preparations earlier as well. India's scheduled warm-up match against defending champions England in Guwahati was also washed out. In total, the inclement weather had forced three warm-up matches to be abandoned, while three others were affected by rain, creating challenges for the teams and players in their preparations just days before the tournament's commencement.

The Netherlands, too, had their share of frustrations with two washouts, including a game against Australia that ended without a result due to rain. Fortunately for them, this match, like India's, was also in Thiruvananthapuram, sparing them the inconvenience of traveling to another venue.

Despite these rain-affected warm-up matches, the weather forecast for the upcoming tournament in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Dharamsala appeared more promising, with expectations of sunshine instead of showers. With the Cricket World Cup just around the corner, fans and teams alike hoped for clearer skies and uninterrupted cricketing action as the tournament got underway.