BIG blow for Team India, THIS star batter is out of cricket for 5 to 6 weeks
Team India batter and Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson, the star wicketkeeper-batter, has suffered a fractured index finger after being struck by a fiery Jofra Archer delivery during the fifth T20 International against England in Mumbai on Sunday. The injury will keep him out of action for over a month, ruling him out of the upcoming Ranji Trophy 2025 quarterfinals.
Samson has returned to his hometown, Thiruvananthapuram, and will only resume training after completing his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). He will need medical clearance from the NCA before making a competitive comeback.
“Samson has fractured his right index finger and will need five to six weeks before he can start batting in the nets again. This rules him out of Kerala’s Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Jammu & Kashmir in Pune from February 8-12,” a BCCI source was quoted as saying by PTI on condition of anonymity. The source added that Samson is likely to return to action in the IPL 2025 with the Rajasthan Royals.
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]
– With the pain, he continued to bat in the final T20I, waiting for a strong comeback during IPL pic.twitter.com/TCqzop1l2v
— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) February 3, 2025
Samson, who struggled throughout the England series and is not part of India’s ODI squad, sustained the injury when Archer’s third delivery—clocking close to 150 km/h—struck him. Despite managing to hit a six and a four, his finger swelled up once he returned to the dugout. Subsequent scans confirmed the fracture.
Having entered the T20I series following a remarkable run against Bangladesh and South Africa — where he notched three centuries in seven games — Samson was overlooked for the Champions Trophy 2025 squad as he hadn’t participated in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. However, his performances against England were underwhelming, as he managed just 51 runs in five matches, with 26 in the opening game at Eden Gardens being his highest score.
Struggling against the short-pitched bowling of Archer, Mark Wood, and Saqib Mahmood, Samson was frequently dismissed within the powerplay. With India not scheduled to play any white-ball matches between the Champions Trophy and late July, the 30-year-old will likely have to wait until the away series against Bangladesh in August for his next international opportunity.