Sanju Samson has been lauded as the next big thing in Indian cricket for years. The Kerala wicket-keeper-batsman has been a big success in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He is among the highest-paid cricketers in the cash-rich league for a reason.
The 26-year-old, though, hasn’t been able to translate his IPL and local dominance to the international stage. The fierce rivalry for a player with his profile on the Indian team hasn’t helped his chances either. He’s been in and out of the team frequently, which makes it difficult to engage with his teammates.
On the most recent episode of Breakfast with Champions, the elegant batsman recounted an instance in which he tried to start up a discussion with fellow Indian players. He even identified the older player who rescued him and approached him, making him feel at ease.
When Samson had been selected as India’s second-choice wicket-keeper for the New Zealand trip, he was isolated in the Indian dressing room as he won’t have a personal bond with most of his teammates. Highlighting the captain of that time Kohli’s inability to communicate properly, he said, “didn’t know who to approach” or “who to talk to,” in his own words.
On the chat show, Samson told Gaurav Kapur,
“I remember I was in New Zealand, Rohit Sharma bhai was there, Virat Kohli bhai was there. You don’t know who to Approach, who to talk to, what to say.”
After this, he also highlights how despite not being a captain at that time, how Rohit Sharma comforts him without having a close bond. That’s when Rohit Sharma, who wasn’t the captain at the time, approached the right-handed batsman and invited him out to dinner. Samson was made to feel at ease by the 34-year-old opener’s gesture, which encouraged him to open up. Recalling the incident, he said,
“Then Rohit bhai said ‘Let’s go for dinner’. I said ‘okay sure, let’s go bhaiya’. It was so nice of Rohit.”
The Hitman’s admirers have been considering it as another jewel in his crown since Samson made the incident public. They are not only praising India’s current captain for his kind gesture, but they are also exploiting Samson’s statements to criticise Kohli’s leadership.
They willfully disregarded all of Team India’s successes while under the guidance of the Delhi batsman, instead of focusing on him for being too rigorous in the Indian dressing room. Some of Kohli’s harshest detractors believe the BCCI’s decision to remove him as captain in the 50-over format was due to his detached nature.
Mf Chokli would have abused him after one bad performance
That’s why virat is kicked out
Rohit can give coaching to virat about how to behave with youngstars
— wattafinish (@HiWattafinish) May 3, 2022
I have heard this from a lot of people who have met Virat Kohli… Kohli interacts with players only in the field. off the field he is busy in his own. He don’t give a f about anyone. https://t.co/EDhFaMMkVB
— Amit Joshi (@iOnlyAJ) May 3, 2022
Rohit takes youngsters to hotel 🤣
Kohli takes youngsters to Gym 💪Feel the difference pic.twitter.com/FDPvdlpJNz
— • (@KohlifiedGal) May 3, 2022
So Captain kohli not available for Youngster rumors are true
— Kri (@KrishK74) May 3, 2022
People find it difficult to appreciate someone without disparaging the other. It’s been going on for a while, and it needs to come to an end. Whatever team you support, whatever the player you love, remember that both players are the pride of our country. They may have distinct personalities and approaches, but they all share the same goal and that is to make the country proud.