"He told me, 'I am going to be back you no matter what'" - Sanju Samson credits Gautam Gambhir after tasting belated success in international cricket
Team India wicketkeeper Sanju Samson has credited head coach Gautam Gambhir for his recent success in international cricket, after years of inconsistent performances at the top level. The Kerala cricketer hailed the Gambhir for backing him to the hilt and giving him the confidence to express himself.
Samson (30) made his international debut in 2015 against Zimbabwe in Harare but was constantly in and out of white-ball squads for the next few years. His breakthrough performance came when he smashed his maiden international ton in an ODI against South Africa in Paarl in December 2023. Incredibly, the right-handed batter has scored three tons in his last five T20I innings.
Speaking to AB de Villiers on the latter's YouTube channel recently, Samson acknowledged the significant role that the current Indian head coach has played in his success. He said:
"When he came to the Indian team, in the dressing room he told me 'Sanju, I know what you have. You have something special. I am going to be back you no matter what'. He told me to walk in, go out there and express myself in every innings. That kind of communication from the coach, that gave me clarity and confidence."
The keeper-batter added that he was extremely disappointed over his failures because he was keen to repay the faith shown in him by the head coach.
"After few games of dismissals, you feel pressure because you have a guy who's backing you and you are not performing. I thought 'common Sanju, you need to show something and repay the faith the coach has in'," the keeper-batter explained.
"By God's grace, something special has happened. I want to continue scoring runs and win games for my country," the talented 30-year-old went on to add.
Samson has so far featured in 16 ODIs and 37 T20Is. He has scored 510 runs in one-dayers at an average of 56.66. In T20Is, he has 810 runs at an excellent strike rate of 155.17.
"My first IPL team was KKR" - Samson reflects on long association with Gambhir
Before international cricket, Samson and Gambhir knew each other due to the Indian Premier League (IPL). His first IPL team was Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) of which Gambhir is a former captain. Reflecting on his long association with Team India's head coach, the Kerala cricketer said:
"Yeah, it has been. I had a decent relationship with Gautam Gambir right from a young age. My first IPL team was KKR. When I was 14, they picked me on their B team. At the age of 17, I made it to the KKR main side and that was when KKR won the Championship under Gautam Gambhir."
Samson currently captains Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the IPL. In 168 matches in the T20 league, he has scored 4,419 runs at an average of 30.68 and a strike rate of 138.96, with three hundreds and 25 fifties.