Shashi Tharoor slams Indian Cricket Team's selectors for sidelining Sanju Samson again
New Delhi: The exclusion of Sanju Samson from India's T20I squad has sparked controversy, drawing criticism on social media. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) revealed the squad for the upcoming 5-match series against Australia, with uncapped Jitesh Sharma selected as the second wicketkeeper-batter alongside Ishan Kishan. Samson, who has experienced intermittent inclusions in the team recently, found himself sidelined once again.
The decision raised eyebrows, prompting Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor to express his disapproval. Tharoor, the Congress MP from Thiruvananthapuram, questioned the omission of the Kerala-born cricketer and suggested that, in the absence of senior players, Samson should have been named the captain for the series against Australia. Tharoor also inquired about the absence of spinner Yuzvendra Chahal from the squad.
"This is truly inexplicable. Sanju Samson should have not just been selected, he should have led the side in the absence of all the seniors. His captaincy experience with Kerala and Rajasthan Royals is more current than SKY’s. Our selectors need to explain themselves to the cricket-loving public. And why no Yuzvendra Chahal either," posted Shashi Tharoor on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
Following their participation in the World Cup 2023 final, India is set to face Australia in a T20I series beginning on Thursday. Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, India will compete in a five-match T20I series against the newly crowned world champions.
The T20I squad for the Australia series features a mix of new and experienced players, with Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, and others getting an opportunity. Notably, experienced wicketkeeper Sanju Samson did not secure a place in the squad.
The first T20I between India and Australia is scheduled for Thursday in Visakhapatnam, with the series concluding at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on December 3.
India’s T20I squad for Australia series: Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Ruturaj Gaikwad (Vice-Captain), Ishan Kishan, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Tilak Varma, Rinku Singh, Jitesh Sharma (Wicketkeeper), Washington Sundar, Axar Patel, Shivam Dubey, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna, Avesh Khan, Mukesh Kumar.
This is truly inexplicable. @IamSanjuSamson should have not just been selected, he should have led the side in the absence of all the seniors. His captaincy experience with Kerala and @rajasthanroyals is more current than SKY's. Our selectors need to explain themselves to the… https://t.co/W251o89jzs
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) November 21, 2023
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Leopard spotted near Kadri Manjunath Temple in Mangaluru
Mangaluru: A leopard was spotted in Doctors’ Colony near the Kadri Manjunath Temple area in Mangaluru in the early hours of Monday, February 23, creating anxiety among residents of the locality.
According to local residents, the animal was spotted in the CCTV footage of two cameras installed in the locality around 1 am near the entrance gate of Doctors’ Colony. The footage shows the leopard walking calmly in front of the gate before moving out of view.
The sighting has come as a surprise as the area is largely urbanised, with apartment complexes and villa-type houses dominating the surroundings. Except for a small patch of forested land above the Kadri temple area, there is little greenery nearby. Residents say the concrete landscape offers limited scope for wild animals to find food.
This is not the first time wild animals have been spotted in the locality. Two years ago, a wild gaur had entered the same area and was later guided back into the forest through Shaktinagar. Just last week, a smaller leopard was sighted in Shaktinagar and was also captured on CCTV cameras. Now, a bigger leopard has been recorded near Kadri.
So far, no one has reported a direct sighting of the animal, and no formal complaint has been lodged with the Forest Department.
Forest Department officials said leopard movement is common during the months of January and February, as the animals often enter human settlements in search of food. In areas near forests, they usually prey on poultry and stray dogs.
Officials added that leopards are capable of travelling 15 to 20 kilometres in a single night and generally do not remain in one place if they are unable to find food. While sightings are more common in forest-fringe areas such as Bajpe and Neermarga, repeated appearances within core city limits this time have caused concern among residents.
