Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers has said Sanju Samsonwas closer to earning a spot in India's ODI squad for the England tour. India's 15-member squad, announced on June 21, named KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan as the two wicketkeeper options, leaving out both Samson and Rishabh Pant.

Samson had carried the momentum from his Player of the Tournament campaign in India's T20 World Cup 2026 triumph into Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, putting in a strong season with Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He was included in India's T20I squad for the Ireland and England, though the selectors opted to leave him out of the ODI squad.

"Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul are the two top wicket-keepers. The big thing is there is no Pant, no Samson. Samson must have been close, closer than Pant, as he had a really good IPL and also, prior to that, showed signs of form. Not a lot of surprises there, but just for Samson, I feel he was close," De Villiers said on his YouTube channel.

De Villiers also addressed the case of Yashasvi Jaiswal, who scored 110 not out against Afghanistan in the third ODI in Chennai but was not retained once Virat Kohli was cleared fit for the England series.

"It was a little bit of a tough one on Jaiswal, who was back in Virat's place, scoring the hundred, and now he's got to make way. No complaints there, but it is just a little bit harsh on players sometimes. When your king comes back, when the main players come back, there is a process they are looking at," De Villiers concluded.

The three-match ODI series between India and England begins on Tuesday, July 14 at Edgbaston in Birmingham, with games also scheduled in Cardiff on July 16, and at Lord's on July 19.