Sanju Samson, India’s backup middle-order batter and wicket-keeper, known for his exceptional talent, has faced the challenge of missing out on numerous opportunities in the national setup despite impressive performances in domestic and IPL cricket.
Despite this, he has garnered support from fans across the country and cricket legends, including former Indian cricket team opener Gautam Gambhir.
In 2020, Gambhir praised Samson for his batting prowess, foreseeing him as the potential number one batter in the coming years if given adequate opportunities in the national team. Gambhir emphasized that Samson not playing for India is a loss for the country, not for Samson.
Gambhir also lauded Samson’s six-hitting skills, drawing a comparison to MS Dhoni and posing the hypothetical scenario of what would have happened if Dhoni had hit such sixes.
Gautam Gambhir on Sanju Samson 👇👇👇👇👇
— Rohit (@___Invisible_1) September 8, 2022
"#SanjuSamson probably will be World No:1 player in future if @BCCI back him"#gautamgambhir #Sanju #Samson #AsiaCupT20 #AsiaCup2022 #RishabhPant @chetans1987 #BCCI @BCCI
pic.twitter.com/hkIWcVVB0j
This is literally everyone who believed in Sanju Samson's ability including @rajasthanroyals .
— Anurag™ (@SamsonCentral) December 21, 2023
As Gambhir once said Sanju Samson is not just the best wicketkeeper batsmen in India but the best young batsman in Indiapic.twitter.com/PmMbflYQlQ
This appreciation gained attention following Samson’s stellar performance against South Africa in the ongoing series, where he scored 108 runs off 114 deliveries with six fours and three sixes, contributing to India’s total of 296 in the third and final ODI.
Looking ahead, Samson will continue to lead the Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 edition, while Gambhir, having returned to his old franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, is set to provide valuable mentorship to the team.
