With India’s squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 being announced, one big inclusion has been that of the wicketkeeper-batter, Sanju Samson who has taken the cricketing fraternity by storm. He finds himself among the two wicketkeeper-batters along with Rishabh Pant in the 15-man squad and will be his maiden call-up for the T20 World Cup which certainly made his father proud.
It has not been a smooth ride for the wicketkeeper-batter from Trivandrum as he had a difficult time securing a run of games and found himself being in the second-string side which took on relatively inferior oppositions.
In a report by the IANS (Indo-Asian News Service), the father of the Rajasthan Royals skipper, Samson Viswanath, was pleased to see his son finally get the call-up but suggested that his next obstacle is to find a way to break into the starting XI.
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“I have been waiting for this moment since 2013, and now he (Sanju) has finally crossed the first hurdle to make the 15-member India squad. The next step is to break into the playing XI, and after that runs should flow from his bat. When this happens, I will be truly happy,” said Samson Viswanath, Sanju’s father.
Viswanath was a constable with the Delhi Police, who also represented the Delhi football team in the Santosh Trophy. Later, he quit his job and returned to his home in a coastal hamlet near the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport.
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Samson’s father also revealed some of the sacrifices he had made to ensure that his children could have a future in the sport. He reckons that Sanju is someone who is a team player rather than one who goes for individual goals.
“I quit my job to ensure that my two sons play cricket. I have been waiting for this moment for long. Sanju always plays for the team, not for himself,” said Viswanath.
The 2024 season has been particularly special for the RR skipper. Samson has been in fine form with the bat and is also performing well as the captain of the franchise which sits comfortably at the top of the points table as well. His father suggested that he has grown in strides, from being a power-hitter to being more aware of how the game flows.
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“He was trying to hit every ball for the maximum… But this season we are seeing a different Sanju. Now I am waiting to see him score runs for the country,” commented Viswanath.
“Sanju has been working very hard and we are all waiting eagerly to see him perform,” he added.
Sanju has played 16 ODIs and 21 T20 Internationals for India since 2015.
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