Is Sanju Samson Playing Today in Kerala vs Madhya Pradesh Vijay Hazare Trophy?

The third round of the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2025-26 is underway on Monday, December 29. Kerala are playing their third match of the tournament against Madhya Pradesh. They have won one of their two matches in the tournament so far and are eying their third win today.

However, more than the match, fans are curious if Kerala's star batter Sanju Samson is playing or not. Samson is arguably the face of Kerala cricket right now and is also one of the best wicketkeepers in India.

Is Sanju Samson Playing Today Match in Kerala vs Madhya Pradesh VHT Match?

The star wicketkeeper-batter, Sanju Samson, missed out on Kerala's first two matches and will not be playing the third match as well. According to some reports, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have allowed the players selected in India's T20 World Cup 2026 squad to play only the final two league matches of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.

Sanju Samson Vijay Hazare Trophy presence would have boosted Kerala because of his skills and experience. However, his absence can derail Kerala's run in this tournament. Samson is likely to be back in the playing XI for one of the last group stage matches.

Sanju Samson VHT absence can be drawn from the fact that he is not even in contention of India's ODI squad. The right-hander is preparing for the shortest format as he will be one of the key players for India in the T20 World Cup 2026.

Sanju Samson to Open With Abhishek Sharma

Sanju Samson played only one match in the recently concluded five-match T20I series against South Africa. The star batter replaced Shubman Gill in the last match of the series and scored 37 off just 22 balls. After that, the BCCI announced India's squad for the upcoming New Zealand series and the T20I World Cup 2026, where they dropped Shubman Gill, who was India's vice-captain in the format and one of the best batsmen in the world.

They instead went with Ishan Kishan, who was phenomenal during the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025. But Samson is likely to play ahead of Kishan as he is ahead in the line and has also performed well recently. To maintain the left-right combination with Abhishek Sharma, the team management is likely to go with Samson.

So, the upcoming five-match T20I series against New Zealand will be crucial series for Samson. If he performs well in the series, his place in the playing XI will most likely be cemented.