India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has revealed how his father Viswanathan’s bold decision to move the family from Delhi to Kerala became the defining moment in his cricketing journey.Ahead of India’s second T20I against England at Old Trafford in Manchester, Samson reflected on the pivotal choice that changed the course of his career after he struggled to break into Delhi’s highly competitive domestic cricket setup.The stylish opener enjoyed a dream run earlier this year, smashing three consecutive half-centuries to help India lift the T20 World Cup on home soil and finishing as the Player of the Tournament. However, his recent form has dipped, with scores of 5 and 0 during India’s series defeat to Ireland, followed by just 1 run in the rain-abandoned first T20I against England in Durham.Despite the lean patch, Samson will be hoping to rediscover his touch in the second T20I on Saturday.Recalling his early cricketing days JioStar’s show Superstars, Samson said he had always dreamed of representing Delhi after watching young cricketers wear the Delhi state team’s jacket.“Back in school, I used to see my friends wearing the DDCA jacket and talking about playing for the Delhi state team. That motivated me. I wanted to represent Delhi too. I attended trials, made it to the state camps a couple of times and scored runs, but I never managed to break into the state team because the competition was extremely tough,” Samson said. He then recounted the moment that changed everything.“One day, after the trials, the team list was announced and my name wasn’t there. We returned home without saying a word. As soon as we reached home, my father told my mother, ‘We have to move to Kerala. We are shifting.’ My mother wanted us to stay until we completed Class 10, but my father said, ‘No, we have to go now. Pack your bags. I am booking the tickets in three days,” Samson added. “We boarded the train, reached Kerala, and I started playing for the Kerala state team. That is how my journey with Kerala cricket began,” he added.
India face England in Manchester
India and England will look to break the deadlock when they meet in the second T20I at Old Trafford, Manchester, after the series opener in Durham was washed out by rain. Despite the no result, India would have taken confidence from posting a competitive 189/7, powered by half-centuries from Abhishek Sharma and captain Shreyas Iyer.
