Team India wicketkeeper Sanju Samson shared that Sachin Tendulkar’s legendary Desert Storm innings against Australia in the 1998 Coca-Cola Cup inspired him to pursue cricket. In that match at Sharjah, Tendulkar scored a remarkable 143 off 131 balls in testing conditions against a strong bowling attack, helping India qualify for the finals despite a challenging target.
Widely regarded as one of Tendulkar’s most iconic knocks, the innings was considered ahead of its time and has inspired countless aspiring cricketers, including Samson. Nearly three decades later, it remains a cherished memory for those who watched it live and for players who dream of representing India.
Samson recalled that watching Sachin Tendulkar take on world-class bowlers like Damien Fleming and Shane Warne made him believe that he too could achieve such feats for the country one day.
“I was watching a game sitting in Delhi police quarters or police colony room in a small TV, Sachin sir was batting in that game, the Sharjah storm innings, he was just smashing the bowlers. So, that moment it actually struck me that ‘Sanju, you can also do that’. That actually inspired me the most,” Sanju Samson said in an interview with R Ashwin.
“I Scored a Century Before Him”: Sanju Samson on Impressing Sreesanth for RR Trial
Sanju Samson’s journey with the Rajasthan Royals began in the 2013 IPL season. Prior to that, he was part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) squad but never featured in a match. Before joining the inaugural champions, the wicketkeeper impressed Sreesanth and later Rahul Dravid in a two-day trial.
“Rahul sir used to just practice, practice, practice, and that is how I saw him when I was a 14 year old kid. The second time was when Sreesanth bhai took me to the RR trials at the age of 17. He used to take 5-7 players from Kerala every year for trials.”
“We used to play Ranji together, and one game he did not see me in the team. So, he called up the secretary and asked why is Sanju not in the team? Next day i flied to play against Andhra, and I scored a 100 in front of him,” Sanju Samson revealed.
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