Not picked in India XI, Sanju Samson delights fans in Ireland with heart-warming gesture

With Dinesh Karthik keeping wickets and Ishan Kishan opening the innings, Sanju Samson had been left out of India's playing eleven for the first T20I.

Sanju Samson may not have been picked in the Indian team for the first T20I against Ireland but he made his presence felt at the Malahide Cricket Club Ground. Photos have surfaced on social media of the Rajasthan Royals captain taking selfies with fans at the ground.

Samson is part of the squad for the two-match T20I series in Ireland (Twitter)

Samson is part of the squad for the two-match T20I series in Ireland. However, he is low in the pecking order for wicketkeeping duties with the Ishan Kishan and Dinesh Karthik in the squad behind first choice wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant. Karthik kept wickets in the first T20I, with Kishan playing as a pure batter.

Kishan has established himself as an opener in the squad. It remains to be seen if India will stick with their first choice combination of KL Rahul and captain Rohit Sharma at the T20 World Cup, despite Kishan being India's highest run scorer this year in T20Is and the only Indian batter in the top 10 of the ICC rankings for the shortest format.

Samson last played for India in a T20I against Sri Lanka in Dharamsala in February this year. He has had a stop-start career in the shortest format, scoring just 174 runs in 13 matches at a strike rate of 121.67. Former India opener Aakash Chopra said that Karthik keeping wickets during the first T20I could be a big statement.

“Dinesh Karthik is keeping, which means no Ishan Kishan, and Sanju Samson didn't get an opportunity also,” said Chopra speaking on his YouTube channel. “What does it mean, that he is now your primary keeping option if Pant is unavailable, that's a big statement, that's a big endorsement.”