Samson: My name was not there in Delhi list and my father said ‘we have to move to Kerala’

Sanju Samson’s heroic knocks in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup earlier this year has cemented his place in the cricketing folklore. The wicketkeeper-bat’s cricket journey began on the streets of Delhi before a life-changing move to Kerala helped fulfil his dreams.

Speaking on JioStar’s Superstars, Sanju Samson reflected on his childhood in Delhi, his early love for cricket, a memorable training session at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, and the pivotal decision by his family to move to Kerala after he missed out on breaking into the Delhi state team.

Samson completes a remarkable turnaround with T20 WC Player of the Tournament award

On the show, the batter opened up about his childhood in Delhi and how he fell in love with cricket. “Delhi has played a very big role in my life, to be very honest. My life started in Delhi. My father was in the Delhi Police football team. He used to go for practice in the morning and evening. From that time, I developed a love for sports. I felt that yes, I want to become a sportsman one day,” he said.

Started from proper gully cricket in Delhi

“I used to live in the police quarters. There, cricket used to be played everywhere. So automatically, cricket attracted me from childhood. I used to gather my friends and we would play in the middle of the road in the police colony, with quarters on both sides. We would put up stumps and play there.

One day, my father said that he would take me to Feroz Shah Kotla for practice. So, we went to the nets for practice, says Sanju Samson

“It started from proper gully cricket, with a tennis ball. We had our own rules… My father also saw that I was enjoying cricket. He never tried to push me into football. He used to take us to play football, and we still play it, but he thought that cricket has a good future. He told me, ‘I saw you batting and I felt that you have talent.’ So, he made me and my brother play cricket instead of football,” the star batter said.

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On the special memory of practicing at the Feroz Shah Kotla, Samson said: “It is a very special memory. As kids, we used to go to academies and practice in schools. One day, my father said that he would take me to Feroz Shah Kotla for practice. So, we went to the nets for practice. We got ready in our full whites. We all went to Feroz Shah Kotla in a bus. My father had some duty there and he requested someone to let us practice for an hour. So, my brother, my father, and I practiced together in the nets for an hour. I don’t know, it must have been a big blessing. I don’t know how my father managed it, but nowadays they don’t allow such things. Maybe because my father was on duty, it happened.”

Move to Kerala was life-changing: Samson

On the moment, his family decided to move to Kerala after he couldn’t break into the Delhi team, he said: “Back in school, I used to see friends wear the DDCA jacket and talk about playing for the state cricket team of Delhi. That motivated me. I wanted to represent Delhi too. I went for trials, attended state camps, and scored runs. Two or three times I made it to the camp but never got a breakthrough into the state team. The competition was tough. Then one day, the team list was announced after my trials had ended. My name was not there. We returned home in silence.

Sanju Samson with former India and Hyderabad cricketer MV Narasimha Rao in Belfast, Ireland 

“As soon as we reached home, my father told my mother, ‘We will have to move to Kerala. We are shifting.’ My mother said, ‘The kids are only in 6th standard. Let them complete 10th.’ My father said, ‘No, we have to go now. Pack your things. I am booking tickets in three days.’ He took that decision instantly. I remember, we all boarded the train. Then we reached Kerala and I started playing for Kerala. That is how my cricket journey for the Kerala state team began,” he added.