NEW DELHI: India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has revealed that Sachin Tendulkar’s legendary “Desert Storm” innings in Sharjah in 1998 was the moment that convinced him he could one day play for India.The knock — 143 off 131 balls against Australia — is remembered as one of Tendulkar’s most iconic efforts. Although India lost that match, Sachin’s brilliance ensured qualification for the finals. For a young Samson, it was a turning point.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“I was watching a game sitting in Delhi police quarters or police colony room on a small TV. Sachin sir was batting in that game, the Sharjah storm innings, he was just smashing the bowlers. So, that moment it actually struck me that ‘Sanju, you can also do that’. That actually inspired me the most,” Samson said in a conversation with R Ashwin.
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The Rajasthan Royals skipper, who joined the franchise in 2013, recalled how his early career was shaped by opportunities created by senior players. Before RR, Samson had a stint with Kolkata Knight Riders but did not break into the playing XI. His breakthrough came after impressing former Kerala teammate S Sreesanth, who later introduced him to Rahul Dravid during RR trials.“Rahul sir used to just practice, practice, practice, and that is how I saw him when I was a 14-year-old kid. The second time was when Sreesanth bhai took me to the RR trials at the age of 17. He used to take 5-7 players from Kerala every year for trials. We used to play Ranji together, and one game he did not see me in the team. So, he called up the secretary and asked why is Sanju not in the team. Next day I flew to play against Andhra, and I scored a 100 in front of him,” Samson said.
Samson played for RR from 2013 to 2015, returned in 2018 after a stint with Delhi Daredevils, and has since become the face of the franchise — but it all started with that one stormy day in Sharjah.
