Success-failure-struggle: The reverse triad of Sanju Samson
The tale of Sanju Viswanath Samson belongs to the latter category that emerged from the glitzy glamour of the national capital and got its life in the cricketing backyard state of Kerala and moved to the dreamy Indian dressing room with sheer determination and talent.
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Indian Premier League has had a reputation of throwing some unexpected surprise packages to the limelight since its inception. While the selection of the likes of KC Cariappa, Murugan Ashwin and many others raised eyebrows for more reasons than one, some cricketers have risen beyond the obscurity and used the mega stage as a perfect platform to carve a distinct niche for themselves. The tale of Sanju Viswanath Samson belongs to the latter category that emerged from the glitzy glamour of the national capital and got its life in the cricketing backyard state of Kerala and moved to the dreamy Indian dressing room with sheer determination and talent.
 © GettyLife changed for good for the talented Kerala wicket-keeper batsman when now-banned India International Sreesanth took him to the selection camp of Rajasthan Royals where he impressed then-coach and Captain Rahul Dravid. He made a well-crafted unbeaten 27 runs on debut to see the side home against Kings XI Punjab, where the likes of veteran Rahul Dravid, stoic Ajinkya Rahane and Brad Hogg had failed to get going. The then India Under-19 wicket-keeper announced his arrival on the big stage and bagged the emerging player of the year award of the season. Subsequent performances for Rajasthan Royals, India Under-19 and Kerala in the Ranji Trophy were enough to put him as an able replacement for MS Dhoni in the national team. He vindicated the talk surrounding him and made his debut against Zimbabwe in a T20 encounter.
But, it was the lack of consistency that came as a stumbling block for the 21-year old’s miraculous progress. After hitting a century against Jammu and Kashmir, he could garner a total of only 107 runs from the remaining 12 innings in 2015-16 Ranji Trophy season. Failure in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, where he scored only 95 runs from six games at an average of a shade over 15, didn’t inspire any confidence either.
But Samson understood that it is a just a phase in his life and doesn’t bother what is in store for him in the future; he has opted to be calm and patient to focus on the present.
“I think I am in a position to understand about life and prefer to live in the present. Things keep on changing and you keep on learning and so I don’t have any regrets about that. I am now playing the Ranji Trophy and this is important for me at the first place rather than thinking about an India call-up,” he told SportsCafe in an exclusive chat on the sidelines of the Kerala-Hyderabad Ranji Trophy encounter in Bhubaneswar.
 © Though he underlined the importance of living in the present and not thinking too much about the future, his failure in the last year’s domestic season was never pushed to the background. He resigned from the captaincy duty, and Sachin Baby, who was taking baby steps in the domestic cricket, had been selected as the successor.
His miraculous rise in the ranks from Under-19 to International cricket and attaining the stardom from a very young age, had a lot to do with his talent and determination. But, it was never a secret as to how a big a role Rahul Dravid has had in his growth, and Sanju proudly gives credit to the talisman in making him a better cricketer.
“I don’t think I need to speak more about Dravid Sir. His records speak volume about his ability. His simplicity evokes how great a person he is. For me, he is a legend. Each and every day has been very special being around him. There are plenty of moments when he motivated us to bring the best out of us. He is the best person I have ever come across in my cricketing career,’’ he said.
“Dravid Sir is the best person I have ever come across in my cricketing career,’’ - Samson
In the Ranji Trophy, Kerala has been a part of Group C for a long time now. Apart from Tinu Yohannan, S Sreesanth and Sanju, Kerala hasn’t been able to throw up any big names.
So, when asked if that expectation pressurized him to perform, he backed his team like a few players do. At 21, he is one of the senior players of the team. Â
“No, not at all. I know what my role is. In our team, everyone knew their roles and that helps us to be calm. I have been enjoying the company of my teammates. It is a pleasure for me to be a part of this set-up. ’’
Kerala has meanwhile made big strides in its talent pool. Sachin Baby and Rohan Prem are making ripples with their composed batting display, and this year Jalaj Saxena and Iqbal Abdullah joined the team as professionals. With a shield of batting heroes to protect them, Samson has been relieved from the one-man-rescuer duty to concentrate on his own batting. He struck a brilliant 154 against Jammu and Kashmir which was followed by a crafty 47 against Himachal this season.
Though he has not been able to hit the perfect note after his initial heroics and promise, he has already been a superstar for many, at least for those who are madly in love with the IPL. The fact was evident when a lot of college students waited for more than three hours to get a glimpse of Samson, or maybe an autograph or a photograph.
For a boy from a middle-class family, attention from the fans and media is enough to give a swagger, but for Samson, that doesn’t matter at all.
“I am a normal human being of 21-year old who plays cricket for his state. I am from a very humble background and would love to be that simple all the way through my career.
And about getting attention from the fans, I get it because I have done well not because they want me to do well,” he says.