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Sanju Samson's name always emerges whenever there is talk of options for wicketkeeper-batter in the Indian team. Samson has been backed by many former cricketers including Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mentor Gautam Gambhir for his talent. However, inconsistency has been a major factor why he has not been able to cement his place in the national side.
Now, Samson is leading the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) edition winners Rajasthan Royals (RR) but it wasn’t always smooth sailing for the Kerala-born batter. In a recent interview on ‘Breakfast with Champions’, Samson revealed a time when he was so frustrated with his dismissal that he damaged his bat, left the stadium and spent hours at marine drive thinking about his cricket career.
“In those five years, I used to get dismissed quite early, and on one of the occasions, I came in the dressing room after getting out, threw my bat, and left the stadium, while the match was going on. I was at Brabourne Stadium and thought I should leave cricket and return to my home, you take this bat and I am going back to Kerala,” said the 27-year-old.
“I walked out to Marine Drive and was looking at the sea, and thinking, what’s going on. After sitting for two to four hours, I returned at night after the match got concluded and immediately looked at my bat, which was broken. I felt very bad and certainly should have hit the bat on the pillow,” he added.
On the back of performances in two consecutive seasons of IPL, Samson made his debut in 2015 at the age of 20. However, an inconsistent run led to his ouster from the squad. Samson recalled the five-year phase which was the toughest of his life.
“I made my debut when I was 19 or 20, and when I was 25, I was again selected to play for the Indian team. Those five years was the most challenging time for me. I was even dropped from the Kerala side, and then you are facing a lot of doubt within yourself, thinking Sanju can you come back. If you are realistic and honest, you go through these phases,” the Royals skipper recalled.
