Size matters! Why Suryakumar wore Samson's jersey in IND vs WI 1st ODI?

Suryakumar Yadav was sported in a jersey which had Sanju Samson's name printed on the back. But why did that happen?

There was a lot of uproar on social media when Sanju Samson was not selected for India's XI once again and Ishan Kishan found a place in the line-up in the first ODI against West Indies on July 27. However, the topic of discussion changed when people spotted Suryakumar Yadav on the field in Samson’s jersey. 

There was no explanation as to why this happened. Some people created memes saying it was to win the hearts of a huge Samson fan base on Indian social media. However, the real reason for such confusion was the size of the jersey. 

According to sources in the BCCI, Surya had complained about his jersey size on the eve of the match in Barbados. However, Surya did the photoshoot in his jersey, expecting the new one to arrive by matchday. The new one also did not fit him and the Mumbai batter had no other option but to wear Sanju’s jersey which fit him perfectly. 

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“There was some size issue with his jersey. We were told about it two days before the game,” Indian Express quoted a BCCI source as saying. 

Surya will continue sporting Samson’s jersey

Surya wears a ‘Large’ size jersey but was handed a ‘Medium’ one on matchday. As a result, he had to take Samson’s jersey. However, there is no provision to provide him with a ‘large’ size jersey as of yet and hence if selected for the second ODI, the 32-year-old could don his teammates’ jersey. 

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If Samson too gets selected in playing 11, Surya might have to ask for someone else’s jersey. 

“He will be receiving his new jersey after the second ODI as the BCCI has shipped it with Indian team players selected for the T20 series. Till then he will be wearing his teammate's jersey while playing,” the Indian Express report added. 

Why can’t Surya wear a jersey without any name on the back?

According to ICC’s new rules and regulations of clothing and equipment, a player's jersey must sport a name and that cannot be taped. Therefore Surya was left with no other options like wearing a jersey with no name or wearing a team player’s jersey by taping out his name. 

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