(Image Souce: ICC)
[Saba Sports News] Facing what seemed like his last chance in international cricket, Sanju Samson delivered a career-defining performance. Overlooked for the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup, and excluded from the T20I series against Australia and South Africa, Samson’s prospects for the T20 World Cup next year appeared bleak. His peers had outpaced him, and a new generation of players was rapidly emerging.
However, in the ODI series decider at Boland Park, Paarl, Samson rose to the occasion. India, struggling at 132/3 in 30 overs, saw Samson shift gears, scoring 44 runs off his last 24 balls. His efforts led India to a total of 296, marking his first century in his eight-year international career since debuting in 2015 against Zimbabwe. Reflecting on his journey, Samson expressed both emotional relief and happiness.
Despite praise from India captain Rohit Sharma in March 2022 and preparation as an injury back-up for KL Rahul in the Asia Cup, Samson faced setbacks and missed crucial opportunities. Determined to revive his international career, he focused on playing match-winning innings, a mantra he repeated during practice sessions for the South Africa series.
Samson returned to his hometown Thiruvananthapuram post-World Cup to refine his batting skills with personal coach Bijumon N. They focused on preparing for the South Africa series, adapting to conditions similar to those in South Africa at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru.
Despite his triumphant century, the intense competition within the Indian team means Samson’s place in the T20 World Cup squad isn’t guaranteed. However, Bijumon believes this performance could be a turning point, signaling the beginning of the best years of Samson’s career.
“This should be a springboard for more such knocks. I think Sanju has now turned a corner in his career, and the best years of his career are ahead of him,” he said.