KCA Suspends Sreesanth Over Sanju Samson Champions Trophy Row
The action comes in the wake of ongoing controversy over the exclusion of star wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson from India’s 2025 Champions Trophy squad.
Kochi: The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) has suspended former India pacer S Sreesanth from all cricket-related activities after he allegedly made “false and defamatory statements” against the association. The action comes in the wake of ongoing controversy over the exclusion of star wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson from India’s 2025 Champions Trophy squad.
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Suspension Announced at Special KCA Meeting
The decision was made during a special general body meeting held in Ernakulam on Friday. Sreesanth, who co-owns the Kerala Cricket League franchise Aries Kollam Sailors, had received a show-cause notice earlier this year for publicly criticizing the KCA over its treatment of Samson.
Franchisees Escape Action After Satisfactory Replies
The KCA also issued show-cause notices to other entities, including the Kollam Aries team, Alleppey franchise, and content creator Sai Krishnan. However, the association decided not to take further action against these teams after receiving what it called “satisfactory replies.” Franchise managements were warned to be cautious while selecting team members in the future.
Legal Action Against Samson’s Father and Media Channel
In a notable escalation, the KCA also announced plans to seek legal compensation from Sanju Samson’s father, Samson Viswanath, Reji Lukose, and a TwentyFour news channel anchor for allegedly making “baseless allegations against the association in Sanju’s name.”
Background: The Sreesanth–Samson–KCA Fallout
The controversy began in February 2025 when Sreesanth slammed the KCA for dropping Samson from the Vijay Hazare Trophy squad in December 2024. Samson’s absence from that tournament was cited as a reason for his omission from India’s 2025 Champions Trophy squad.
While Sreesanth publicly supported Samson, the KCA clarified that the issue was not his support but his “defamatory statements,” which violated his contractual obligations as a team co-owner. In its response, the KCA even referred to Sreesanth’s past involvement in the 2013 spot-fixing scandal, stating:
“Even when he was in jail, KCA officials supported him. Yet, he now targets the very body that stood by him.”
Sreesanth Hits Back at KCA
Unfazed by the suspension, Sreesanth continued to criticize KCA. In an interview with Onmanorama, he questioned the lack of local representation in Kerala teams, accusing KCA of favoring players from other states:
“They bring outsiders to play for us. That’s disrespectful to Malayali cricketers.”
He further questioned the KCA’s development record, asking, “Which international player has KCA produced after Sanju?”
KCA Counters Sreesanth’s Allegations
In response, KCA accused Sreesanth of ignorance regarding Kerala cricket’s progress and highlighted rising players like Sajana Sajeevan, Minnumani, Asha Shobana, Joshitha V.J. (Under-19 World Cup winner), Najla CMC, and Mohammed Enaan.
Kerala Reaches Ranji Trophy Final in Samson’s Absence
Despite the off-field drama, Kerala’s team performed exceptionally, reaching the Ranji Trophy final in the 2024–25 season, eventually finishing runners-up to Vidarbha. Notably, Samson was injured during the tournament.
KCA Clarifies on Samson’s VHT Omission
Explaining the initial decision to leave out Samson, KCA Secretary Vinod S Kumar said:
“Sanju had informed us via email that he wouldn’t attend the camp. Since he wasn’t part of the sessions, we didn’t consider him for selection.”
The episode marks a rare public fallout between high-profile cricketers and a state association, with potential legal ramifications and further disciplinary actions likely in the coming weeks.
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