Shruti Suman
Sanju Samson’s recent social media post has caused quite a stir. The talented wicket-keeper-batsman has been a hot topic of discussion among fans and experts ever since he was left out of India’s Cricket World Cup 2023 squad. While he was included as a backup in the Asia Cup 2023 squad, he didn’t get the opportunity to play any matches and had to return before the final against Sri Lanka.
Prior to the Cricket World Cup, the Indian cricket team was practicing in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, for their warm-up match against the Netherlands. During this practice session, a massive poster of Samson was prominently displayed at the venue. Samson shared a picture of this moment on his social media accounts, accompanied by a heartfelt message for his teammates, which read, “With Team India @ God’s own country!!”
Meanwhile, India’s star cricketers embarked on a 3,400km (2,170 miles) journey across the country to participate in a World Cup warm-up match, only to have it canceled due to heavy rainfall. The scheduled match against the Netherlands in Thiruvananthapuram, located at the southern tip of India, was a washout.
Furthermore, their planned game against defending champions England in the northeastern city of Guwahati was also abandoned due to rain. In total, three warm-up matches have been completely canceled due to the inclement weather, while three others have been affected by rain, leaving teams and players frustrated just before the tournament’s start on Thursday.
The Netherlands, too, faced two washouts, including their match against Australia, which ended without a result when rain interrupted their chase after 14.2 overs. Fortunately for them, this game was also played in Thiruvananthapuram, sparing them a futile journey to another venue.
Nevertheless, the weather forecast for the upcoming week in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, and Dharamsala—the venues for the first three days of the tournament—looks promising, with sunshine expected instead of showers.
Khushi Sikarwar
