April 8, 2008. Lying on the bed in his hotel room, skinny 14-year-old Sanju Samson watched Kolkata Knight Riders’ Brendon McCullum score 158 off 73 balls against Royal Challengers Bangalore in his first IPL match. , That drizzly evening in Kottayam, a city in central Kerala, changed his heart. forever. Sanju changes his career dreams, from wanting to be a civil servant to entering the elite world of a top cricketer. Former Kerala player Raifi Vincent Gomez, who is also a close friend of the wicketkeeper batsman, said, “Sanju always remembers that day which gave him the dream of one day reaching the league of top players.”
But merely dreaming will not take one to the top of one’s profession, especially in sports.
Sanju had immense determination to follow his chosen path.
Biju George, the former fielding coach of the India women’s cricket team and an early mentor to the Kerala player, saw that bright flickering flame inside Sanju.
“Rain or shine Sanju and his brother Sali will be in the nets at the Medical College grounds in Thiruvananthapuram. It was raining heavily here one day, and I thought Sanju would not come for the nets from his home in Vizhinjam, about 25 km from the centre. .
George said, “But he reached there on time. He had brought his (cricket) kit, which also had his school uniform in it, so that he could go to school after training. Even at that age, he had There was next level determination.”
Perhaps, that discipline came from his family. His father Vishwanath was a football player in Delhi Police for almost two decades and strongly supported his son’s aspirations.
He used to arrange nets for Sanju and his brother with the Delhi Police team, and they would often play against cricketers much older than them.
Gomez said, “His father is a huge source of inspiration for him, even when I first met him during his junior cricket days. He would come to watch Sanju’s matches without fail.”
But that upbringing in a police colony in North Delhi’s GTB Nagar also gave Sanju a grounded mind.
Make no mistake, Sanju is a modern player in every way – he is active on social media, has close relationships with Malayalam film stars and politicians and he contributes to the marketing of many products.
Although the impact of fame has not seeped under his skin, George said one trait has endeared him to all strata of Kerala’s discerning society.
He said, “Malayalees have this inherent nature, they don’t like people who show off – be it their knowledge or wealth or fame. Sanju has remained humble till date and that’s what instantly connects him with the people of the state.”
A look at Sanju’s X account will confirm that comment. Sanju, a globe-trotting player, has ‘Keralaam’ written on it and a silhouetted Vizhinjam port profile picture.
“Look, Kerala has produced some top-class athletes – PT Usha, Sreesanth etc. Listen, I am not pointing fingers at them, but, sometimes, the way Malayalis present themselves in public, Don’t like his tone etc.
“But Sanju is different. He still has the same group of friends – Nicholas, who is now his manager, or Rahul Raghav – that he had from his early days. He still goes to local shops in his shorts and slippers.
He elaborated, “He doesn’t have a star image. He is the person whom everyone likes to have as a son or brother in their house. You know he has maintained the ‘Nammude Sanju’ (our Sanju) image.” “Kept.”
Perhaps, only footballer IM Vijayan has made such an impact on fans in the state.
“Vijayan was a superstar during his playing days, but remained attached to his home town – Thrissur. Despite climbing the ranks, Sanju is associated with Thiruvananthapuram and Kerala. The state likes its heroes to stay local and Sanju is the perfect fit. Are.” Rajesh R Nair, a marketing-advertising professional.
‘elder brother’
Sanju may have grown into an affable cult hero in Kerala’s socio-cultural circle, but to his teammates, 29-year-old Sanju is a brotherly man.
“Sanju Chetan (elder brother) is always in touch. At times, he is away because of national duty or some IPL commitments, but he is a phone call away.
Kerala opening batsman Rohan Kunnumel said, “If he is not playing a match, he will call one of us later to know the details. He never forgets the team’s schedule.”
George underlined Sanju’s passion for state cricket.
“We spoke for a few minutes after his selection for the T20 World Cup. But he was more interested in talking about the need to win at least one trophy for Kerala in the upcoming domestic season.
“He was saying that if the team gets some success at the national level, more children will play cricket in the state,” he said.
But many youngsters may have already decided to follow Sanju, as they did in that hotel room 16 years ago.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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