“Before the season, he changed his phone and number. He wasn’t using his usual number; the new number was only with his close circle. So clearly, he wanted to cut off distractions, if any, and focus on the job at hand. He didn’t want to speak to anyone outside his close circle.”
Sanju Samson’s childhood coach, Biju George, reveals how the Rajasthan Royals captain made a cautious effort to avoid needless distractions before the Indian Premier League 2024 got underway. It was going to be Samson’s fourth year as RR skipper, and after finishing runners-up in 2022 and narrowly missing out on a Playoff berth in 2023, he was determined to go the distance this time around.
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Most players would have had the 2024 T20 World Cup selection on their minds, but for Samson, the focus was only on the job at hand. No desperation meant he could have his best season with the bat – 504 runs in 13 fixtures – in the IPL, and his side went on to qualify for the Playoffs. They are yet to register a win this month, and Samson, too, hasn’t had the best outings in the last four games, but RR were very clinical and was cruising in the tournament’s first half.
“Well, it (WC selection) wasn’t playing too much on his mind. He was mostly focused on the job at hand – leading and doing well for RR. I personally didn’t feel any sense of desperation. I am very happy with the way he has gone about leading RR this season and scoring runs for them, too, and World Cup selection is the result of the hard work he has put in all those years,” says George.
George, currently the fielding coach for Delhi Capitals, met Samson ahead of their fixture vs RR in New Delhi and was surprised not to hear a mention of the ongoing season or the World Cup. The two spoke at length about Kerala cricket but didn’t even touch the World Cup topic once.
“I met him during the DC vs RR game in New Delhi, and we didn’t talk IPL or World Cup. All he spoke to me about was Kerala cricket and how we should look at winning tournaments there and even winning the Ranji Trophy. That was the only thing which we discussed. He was playing the IPL but was still thinking about Kerala cricket. That’s Sanju for you,” informs George.
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Emotions ran high during that game as the third umpire had to make a very close call on Samson’s catch, which was taken by Shai Hope in the deep. The captain confronted the umpires before walking back to the dugout but didn’t carry any bitterness or a sense of frustration when he spoke after the game. Calmness is something he has embraced in the last few seasons, and George credits Samson’s better half for that “calming influence.”
“Being calm is the right word for me. If you talk about his captaincy and how he has been both on and off the field. I would credit his wife for… he married a wonderful girl who has had a very calming influence on him,” says George.
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The coach added that being around the right people has benefitted the wicketkeeper-batter immensely.
“In the last few years, Sanju has chosen to keep the right people around him. A very close circle. Because you know everyone wants to hitch a ride on the shooting star, Sanju has now kept his circle very closed,” adds George.
Focus on rest and recovery
The Royals dugout knew their captain’s exceptional ability but wanted to address the areas that weren’t, resulting in the consistency he has enjoyed this year. After the game against the Delhi Capitals, coach Kumar Sangakkara explained how a slight change made a big difference.
“There are certain stages of the game that he seems to lose a bit of concentration, which we’ve addressed from past seasons. He’s changed his mindset about the importance of rest and recovery, rather than just training all the time and being tired mentally and physically. The rest is his exceptional ability,” Sangakkara had said.
The former Sri Lanka captain, who has worked very closely with Samson, added that the right-hander is very grounded and cares for the rest of the group.
“He’s a special player and when he’s fresh and focused there’s nothing he can’t do. He’s a humble, grounded guy… not much on social media. He tends to like a lot of privacy, cares for the rest of the group,” Sangakkara added.
It’s been a very special season for Samson, as not only was he consistent, but he also earned a spot in India’s T20 WC squad. Both George and Sangakkara are confident that Samson will do well if an opportunity comes his way, and the former has the perfect arrangement in mind that would accommodate both Samson and Pant in the Playing XI.
“If you ask me, Rohit and Virat should open, and Samson should bat at No.3 with Surya coming in at No.4. And then Pant can be the finisher for us,” George says.
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