Sanju Samson hails shifting base to Kerala

The Delhi & District Cricket Association has long carried the reputation of “crushing dreams” of deserving talents and they almost did that with Sanju Samson before his father, an erstwhile cop with Delhi Police, decided to shift base to his home state Kerala. The rest, as they say, is history.

The exceptionally gifted Samson, by sheer weight of his white-ball runs, made it to the Indian T20 team and earlier this year was the biggest hero of the T20 World Cup triumph.

However, Samson mentioned how the heartbreak in Delhi became a turning point for him and his family. “Back in school, I used to see friends wear the DDCA jacket and talk about playing for the state cricket team of Delhi. That motivated me,” Samson told ‘JioStar’.

“I wanted to represent Delhi too. I went for trials, attended state camps, and scored runs. Two or three times, I made it to the camp but never got a breakthrough into the state team. The competition was tough.

However, his father, Viswanath, took a split-second decision that proved to be life-changing for the Samson household. “Then one day, the team list was announced after my trials had ended. My name was not there. We returned home in silence. As soon as we reached home, my father told my mother, ‘We will have to move to Kerala. We are shifting,” he recalled.

“My mother said, ‘The kids are only in 6th standard. Let them complete 10th.’ My father said, ‘No, we have to go now. Pack your things. I am booking tickets in three days.’ He took that decision instantly.” “I remember we all boarded the train. Then we reached Kerala and I started playing for Kerala. That is how my cricket journey for the Kerala State Team began,” said the man, who made his Ranji Trophy debut weeks before his 17th birthday.