Spoke to Sanju Samson after his T20 WC selection, he was more interested in development of Kerala cricket: Biju George

Biju George mentored Sanju Samson during his younger days and shares a great bond with the wicketkeeper-batter even now. He recently revealed how passionate the Rajasthan Royals captain is about the development of cricket in Kerala.

Samson has been one of the most consistent performers in the Indian Premier League (IPL) but his performance has been overlooked time and again by the national team selectors. Having made his international debut in July 2015, the 29-year-old has only played 16 ODIs and 25 T20Is. The fans desperately wanted him to get a longer rope for India but opportunities have been few and far between. However, the Pulluvila-born is finally going to feature in his first ICC (International Cricket Council) event after being picked in India's 15-man squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup next month.

Former Indian women's team's fielding coach, George, said that he had a chat with Samson after his selection to the team for the marquee event. The former revealed that Samson was more interested in speaking about Kerala cricket and its development. According to George, the right-handed batter wanted Kerala to win a trophy at the national level to attract more youngsters to pursue the sport.

"We spoke a few minutes after his selection to the T20 World Cup. But he was more interested in talking about the need for Kerala to win at least one trophy in the upcoming domestic season. He was saying that more children will take up cricket in the state if the team gets some success at the national level," George was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

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Rain or sunshine Sanju and his brother Saly will be at nets: Biju George

George revealed how disciplined Samson was from his childhood days and how he braved adverse weather conditions to hone his skills.

"Rain or sunshine Sanju and his brother Saly will be at nets at the Medical College ground in Thiruvananthapuram. It was raining heavily one day here, and I thought Sanju would not come for nets from his home at Vizhinjam, nearly 25 kilometres from the centre. But he was there on time. He carried his (cricket) kit in which he also stuffed his school uniform, so that he could go to school after training. Even at that age, he had next level resolve," said George.

George also heaped praise on Samson's father, Samson Viswanath, for being a great source of inspiration for his son. The 58-year-old said that Viswanath, a former football player with Delhi Police, would come to watch his son's matches without fail.

"His father is a great source of inspiration for him, even when I first met him during his junior cricket days. He would come to watch Sanju's matches without fail," said George.

Also Read: Sanju Samson is a special player, there’s nothing that he can’t do: Kumar Sangakkara

Samson is having a fine IPL 2024 campaign, having amassed 471 runs in 11 matches at an average of 67.29 and a strike rate of 163.54. He has led the Royals from the front and the inaugural champions are on the cusp of qualification to the playoffs.