Asia Cup 2023: Sanju Samson sent home from Sri Lanka after KL Rahul's return

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Indian Cricketer Sanju Samson, originally selected as a backup for KL Rahul, has been sent back home as he is surplus to requirements in the Asia Cup squad.

The decision was made by the Indian team management after KL Rahul's recovery and rejoining the squad before the Super 4 stage of the tournament against Pakistan and Nepal.

Following a lengthy injury lay-off, Rahul impressed during extended indoor net sessions in Colombo, exhibiting strong batting form. He later displayed his improved fitness by keeping wickets for almost 90 minutes during the team's first outdoor training session at the R Premadasa Stadium.

With Rahul's inclusion, Samson has now been sent back to India. The Kerala-born wicketkeeper was in the team as a standby and didn't get a single game. Samson has also not made the cut in the Indian team for World Cup 2023.

Under favourable weather conditions, the Indian cricket players including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, and others trained intensively before the Super 4 opener against Pakistan.

As per reports, Bumrah made a strong impression by out-competing both Rohit and Kohli during the bowling drills.

India's team management has been actively improving the batting capabilities of the lower order, focusing on Shardul Thakur, Axar and Bumrah in light of recent criticisms.

Part-timers Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma also received attention with a special focus on training against left-arm seamers keeping in mind the potent threat of Pakistani speedster Shaheen Shah Afridi.