Thrust into the limelight when just 18, Sanju V. Samson of Rajasthan Royals, who bagged the ‘Best Young Player of the Season’ award at this season’s IPL, is learning with every step and every experience. Though his team hit the headlines for the wrong reasons with fellow players being arrested on spot-fixing charges, he had no dearth of positive role models, with none other than Rahul Dravid at the helm.
Like the voracious reader Dravid, Sanju has also recently taken to the world of words. “Books come in handy during our numerous trips for matches. One that influenced me recently is Who Will Cry When You Die by Robin S. Sharma,” says the young player. “He shows a lot of maturity for his age, and that is what I like. Is this the new M.S. Dhoni or what?” These were the words of cricketer Farokh Engineer about Sanju.
Sanju’s life has changed for sure. “People have started recognising me. Life has become quite busy but I am learning to enjoy it all,” says Sanju. The youngster has managed to get a decent score in his 12th grade examinations this year and is thinking of pursuing BA English literature in Mar Ivanios College in Thiruvananthapuram. “It is said that the campus atmosphere and curriculum there are great,” Sanju says, laughing. “St Joseph’s High School, from where I completed my 12th, gave immense support so that I could balance my cricket and studies. Honestly, I did not get much time to study in the 12th,” says Sanju, who pursued commerce stream. His dad Samson Viswanath is a former footballer who had played for Delhi in the 1994 Santosh Trophy. No wonder, he along with wife Lijy supported Sanju and elder son Saly in their cricket ambitions. A second year graduation student, Saly plays for the under-25 state cricket team.
Ask Sanju about his favourite food and like a true Keralite, he says with a smile, “Tapioca and fish curry.”
Sanju’s days are punctuated with numerous felicitation meetings and award nights.
To his credit, the young player has been managing to keep his feet grounded. All set to leave for the under-19 Indian camp, Sanju has very little time for himself or family, post his
IPL performance.