Rohit was the first or second person to talk to me over World Cup snub: Sanju Samson
Rohit was the first or second person to talk to me over World Cup snub: Samson Photograph:( AFP )
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India named a star-studded squad almost a month before the curtain raiser in Ahmedabad, with Ishan Kishan making the cut, while Sanju, who was tipped to fill in for the backup keeper’s slot, failed to get into the final 15.
India named a star-studded squad almost a month before the curtain raiser in Ahmedabad, with Ishan Kishan making the cut, while Sanju, who was tipped to fill in for the backup keeper’s slot, failed to get into the final 15.
Upset over the World Cup 2023 snub, India keeper-batter Sanju Samson opened up on captain Rohit Sharma approaching him right after the 15-man squad announcement. India named a star-studded squad almost a month before the curtain raiser in Ahmedabad, with Ishan Kishan making the cut, while Sanju, who was tipped to fill in for the backup keeper’s slot, failed to get into the final 15.
Having played in the T20I series against Ireland earlier, Sanju was overlooked in the squad for the Asia Cup, with Kishan getting preferred. Ishan’s heroic knock against Pakistan in the first match helped him win the management and the captain’s confidence. Moving forward, the backroom staff backed Ishan as Sanju was out of contention.
In a recent chat on a YouTube channel, ‘I AM with Dhanya Varma’, Sanju revealed how Rohit approached him and what he said.
"Rohit Sharma was the first or second person who came to me and talked. He told me, 'Hey Sanju, wassup. You performed well in the IPL but hit too many sixes against the Mumbai Indians. You bat really well.' I had great support from him," Samson said.
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Addressing the elephant in the room, Sanju bashed the general narrative around his career path being labelled 'unlucky', given how many times he faced snubs over the years.
Sanju said, "People call me the unluckiest cricketer, but where I've reached currently, it's much more than what I thought I could."
Waiting for a breakthrough
A domestic and an IPL giant, Sanju hasn't had a breakthrough season in the Indian jersey. Having made his international debut eight years back in 2015, Sanju played 24 T20I matches, scoring 374 runs, while in the ODIs, he boasts 390 runs from 12 outings, averaging 55.71.
His numbers in the IPL are the most impressive thus far, amassing 3888 runs from 152 matches.
A top-of-the-line batter, Sanju plays for Rajasthan Royals in the cash-rich league. Having led the inaugural winners to their second final in over a decade in 2022, Sanju will be crucial to his side’s chances of ending the trophy drought with a title in the upcoming season.
Meanwhile, the IPL 2024 mini-auction will be held in Dubai on Tuesday (Dec 19).
