Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson. (TOI Photo)
NEW DELHI: Indian wicket-keeper batsman
Sanju Samson
made his international debut in 2015 in a Twenty20 international match against Zimbabwe. Sanju received his India cap from
Murali Vijay
in that match, in which the Indian team was led by
Ajinkya Rahane
in Harare.
The Kerala lad came in at number 7 and scored 19 off 24 balls, including one boundary, before being dismissed by Chris Mpofu. When Sanju was walking back to the pavilion, little would he have known that it would take him five more years before he played another international match in India colours.
But a ‘never-say-die’ attitude drove him forward and the opportunity knocked on his door once again, when he was selected for a three-match T20 series against Bangladesh.
“I made my debut in 2015 against Zimbabwe. Then I got a big space where I spent around four to five seasons playing IPL and playing domestic cricket. I think those times were very important in my career and life,” Sanju told Timesofindia.com in an exclusive interview.
“Those five years have been really important for me. I changed my game accordingly and then I tried to excel. The base has been made in these five years. I t