From Kerala Dressing Rooms to Rajasthan Royals: Samson's Early Journey

Sanju Samson’s cricketing path began in the modest dressing rooms of Kerala, where former international S. Sreesanth played a mentorship role. Samson recalls watching Sreesanth lead groups of five or six Kerala players to the Rajasthan Royals’ trial venue every year.

At a time when he struggled to score runs and was dropped from his state side, Samson received a crucial boost when Sreesanth intervened on his behalf. He called the team’s secretary, TC Matthew, and insisted that Samson be given a trial, promising to refine the youngster’s game.

Samson’s impressive knocks—122 and 51 in a local tournament—earned him a spot at the Jaipur trial. There, he met cricket legend Rahul Dravid, who was impressed by Sreesanth’s endorsement and told Samson that opportunities would follow if he stayed committed.

Despite performing well in the trial and in the Saeed Mustak Ali Trophy for Kerala, Samson was initially left out of the IPL playing eleven. He used the waiting period to absorb guidance from senior international players present at the camp, including Shane Watson, Ajinkya Rahane, and Brad Hodge, noting their advice in a personal diary.

The breakthrough finally arrived when regular keeper Dinesh Karthik was injured. Samson debuted against Punjab, scoring an unbeaten 27 runs at the middle order and effecting three dismissals. The following game saw Karthik’s recovery, and Samson returned to the bench.

Samson wrapped up his rookie IPL season with 206 runs from ten innings across eleven matches, signalling his emergence as a future mainstay of Indian cricket.