Shaun Pollock had just finished interviewing Sanju Samson in between innings in Paarl on Thursday. While both were off-screen, the audio remained live.
“Lovely, to meet you,” Samson told Pollock off the camera. “It’s the first time I’m meeting you, and my father has been a big fan of yours.”
Samson has always been different though never a favourite of the powers-that-be in Indian cricket. He doesn't carry an ego and has remained down-to-earth even after achieving fame and popularity.
He has often earned the sympathy of the common man for not getting an India call-up in big tournaments, though the national selectors cannot always be blamed for ignoring his scintillating form in domestic cricket. He played at a time when one Mahendra Singh Dhoni was plying his trade and then the talented Rishabh Pant was preferred over any other wicketkeeper.
But just when the talk of whether he has failed to do justice to his opportunities at the international level was doing the rounds, Samson struck his first century on Thursday.
He celebrated it in his unique style, by flexing his bicep as if to announce to the world that he is here to stay.
Having gone through his 15 ODI and 25 T20I appearances without a century, his place was constantly being debated. When the selectors decided to keep him in the ODI squad for the South Africa tour, doubts were raised if he could bat on the bouncy wickets and if preferring youngsters would have been wiser.
He missed a golden chance to put to rest all lingering doubts over his talent and temperament at St George’s Park, Gqeberha (formerly Port Elizabeth), but he lasted only 23 balls.
The final and deciding ODI was perhaps his final chance to stay relevant in Indian cricket. Promoted to No.3 ahead of KL Rahul, he made it count with an innings of authority, a perfect mix of timing and shot selection.
“This format, batting at the top of the order, gives you 10 or 20 extra balls to figure it out,” Samson said after the match. But such chances will not come often to him.
Will this innings guarantee him a place in the ODI team? The next World Cup is four years later and India’s next big tournament in this format will be the Champions Trophy in 2025.
Still a long way to go, but with Suryakumar Yadav not being considered in the 50-over game after his recent failures, Samson could sniff an opportunity. But given Surya’s enormous talent in the shortest format he can never be ignored and will always remain in the mix.
The future of some of the senior players for the next showpiece event also needs to be taken into account.
But even then, Samson can never be guaranteed a place as a specialist batter since the top-order will be choc-a-bloc once the regulars return.
Samson will constantly battle against players who are talented, young and promising. At 29, he needs to be consistent and a lot will depend on how things unfold in the team. Therein lies his only hope for survival on the world stage.
