‘Very, very fortunate to have someone like him’ - Sanju Samson on Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli's recent performance against West Indies at Thiruvananthapuram on September 27 reinforced his standing as one of international cricket's most influential figures. Kohli scored 139 not out from 88 balls in the first ODI, guiding India to an eight-wicket chase of 296. The innings marked a significant personal milestone for the batter, as he became only the second batter after Sachin Tendulkar to reach 15,000 runs in men's ODI cricket.

Kohli achieved this landmark in 303 innings, making him the fastest to the milestone. Tendulkar had taken 377 innings to reach the same figure. Speaking on the eve of India's Asian Games men's cricket semi-final against Sri Lanka in Nagoya, Japan, Sanju Samson reflected on Kohli's impact within the Indian team environment.

"What to say? I think we are very, very fortunate to have someone like him. I think whenever he scores runs, practises or turns out to play a game of cricket for our country, or wherever he goes, I think it is a great inspiration for people like us still playing the game in the Indian national team and for everyone playing alongside him. “I think it definitely benefits the way he puts on the performances. So, very happy to have him," Samson was quoted as saying by Telangana Today.

Samson's remarks underscored the value of having a performer of Kohli's calibre within the squad. The batter's consistency and output across formats have shaped how younger and concurrent players approach their own development. Samson acknowledged that Kohli's presence extends beyond match performances to encompass practice routines and the broader culture of professional cricket within the national setup.

Samson, a wicket-keeper-batter who plays for Kerala in domestic cricket, emphasised the role of India's domestic structure in sustaining the team's strength. The batter pointed to multiple layers of domestic competition as key drivers of talent development across the country.

"Absolutely, I think it is all over the internet. It is a known fact nowadays how strong Indian cricket has grown over the last so many years. So, I think there has been some constant effort. I think definitely IPL plays a huge role. But I feel our domestic cricket is also playing a huge role, actually," Samson said.

He further highlighted how consistent participation in domestic tournaments had shaped players' growth and readiness for international cricket.

"We have been constantly making great efforts to go out and play all the domestic matches whenever we get a chance, and that is where we tend to develop a lot of talent as well. So, our grooming things are really nicely placed, actually. The Mushtaq Ali, the Vijay Hazare, the Ranji Trophy, even the Under-19 [teams] are travelling abroad every season, actually. So, a great number of cricketers are coming from these kinds of games, which is a great thing for our country, and we will keep doing our best," he concluded.