India's wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson fractured his right index finger after being hit by a Jofra Archer delivery during the 5th T20I at Wankhede on Sunday. Due to this injury, he will miss the Ranji Trophy quarter-finals and will be out of action for about a month.
According to reports, Samson has returned to Thiruvananthapuram and will begin training only after completing his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). He will need clearance from the NCA before resuming competitive cricket.
Sanju Samson likely to be out of cricket action for 6 weeks after the ball hit on the gloves during the first over of the 5th T20I. [Asianet News]
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 3, 2025
- With the pain, he continued to bat in the final T20I, waiting for a strong comeback during IPL pic.twitter.com/TCqzop1l2v
A BCCI source confirmed that Samson's injury will take five to six weeks to heal, ruling him out of Kerala’s Ranji Trophy quarter-final against J&K from February 8-12. His expected return is likely during the IPL for Rajasthan Royals.
Forgettable series for Sanju Samson
Samson had a disappointing T20I series against England, scoring only 51 runs in five matches. He struggled against the short-pitched deliveries from Jofra Archer, Mark Wood, and Saqib Mahmood and was mostly dismissed early.
Despite a strong performance before the England series, including three centuries in seven games against Bangladesh and South Africa, he missed out on Champions Trophy selection due to not playing in the Vijay Hazare Trophy.
With India’s next white-ball series scheduled for August against Bangladesh, Samson will have to wait for his next opportunity to return to the national team.