India‘s T20I opening batter Sanju Samson made headlines recently with his stunning century against South Africa in Durban, joining a rare group of batters who have scored back-to-back T20I centuries, first against Bangladesh and then the Proteas.
Sanju, the captain of Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL), has been known for his aggressive and fearless style of play since his debut in the tournament, earning him a strong fan following at a young age.
However, his inconsistency has often hindered his chances of securing a regular spot in the Indian T20I side for nearly a decade. But with the retirements of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, his fortunes now seem to be on the rise.
After his recent century during the ongoing T20I series against South Africa, the India star’s father made a shocking revelation about past Indian managements, including those led by Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, and Rahul Dravid, claiming they did not provide his son with a fair opportunity in the national team.
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Sanju Samson’s father thanked Gambhir and Suryakumar for trusting his son in T20Is
In another interview, he praised and thanked the current team management, including Gautam Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav, for having faith in Sanju’s abilities.
“I am very happy, and I want to thank Gautam Gambhir bhai and Suryakumar bhai. If these two people did not come at this time during Sanju’s career, they would have dropped him from the team like in the past. So, I credit my son’s century to both of them.”
“Suryakumar has been encouraging and supporting all players, not just Sanju. Today Sanju scored a century but if he fails in the next four innings, and when he is facing a difficult time, people will abuse him. I want him to score fifty and hundred for the country for many more years,” he added.
Sanju’s father stated that his son’s spot in the India team should have been secured a decade ago. He also shared that the current success stems from the frustration of being sidelined, which fueled Sanju’s strong desire to prove himself.
“This talk of cementing a place in the team was almost done by him 10 years. He has been watching the matches from the bench for ten years, but honestly, he was hurt inside and had a strong desire to overcome this injustice. Sanju didn’t speak up because he put the betterment of the team first, but this fire was burning inside him for 10 years,” he added.
“Now a lion has been unleashed by Gambhir and SKY, who told him to go play with full freedom. Now he is playing well,” he concluded
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