Giving KKR Trials At 14 In Front Of Ganguly Sir And Buchanan Felt Surreal, Says Samson

Giving KKR trials at 14 in front of Ganguly sir and Buchanan felt surreal, says Samson (Image Source: IANS)

Kolkata Knight Riders: India wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson has opened up about how it felt ‘surreal’ for him to give IPL selection trials for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the tender age of 14 in front of legends like former India skipper Sourav Ganguly and John Buchanan.

Samson has been out of India’s playing eleven since the Manchester T20I against England, after having endured two low scores in Ireland. But on a trip down the memory lane, Samson, who played for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in IPL 2026, credited his childhood coach Biju George for shaping his early career and opening doors for him to attend KKR trials.

"After I went on to perform well for Kerala in the Under-13 tournament, Biju sir took me all the way to the Kolkata Knight Riders selection trials when I was just 14 years old. That felt unbelievably surreal for a 14-year-old. Sourav Ganguly sir was the captain of KKR at the time, and John Buchanan was the head coach.

"I gave my trials in front of them, and based on that performance, they selected me to be a part of the KKR 'B' team during that period. We even got to travel to Sri Lanka for matches with the 'B' team. Biju sir continuously opened doors and created opportunities for us, so the credit for shaping the early stages of my career will always, unconditionally, go to him," he said in an episode of JioStar's 'Superstars'.

Samson also threw light on the initial hardships his family faced when they relocated from Delhi to Thiruvananthapuram, including struggle for taking mid-term admission in school. "When we left everything behind and moved back to Kerala, we initially couldn't get admission into any school in Trivandrum. We had moved there during the mid-term, so we weren't getting admission anywhere.

“We tried so many schools, thinking we would go here or there, do this or that, but nobody was ready to admit us. In the end, there was a school called St. Joseph's in Trivandrum. One of my father's friends held a high position there.

“He asked my father what the matter was, and my dad explained that we weren't getting school admissions. He simply said, 'No problem, get uniforms for the kids the next day and send them straight to school.' That’s how it all began in Trivandrum."

On how his father connected with George, currently the head of talent scouting at KKR, Samson said his father Viswanathan making endless phone calls from Delhi to find out about the cricket infrastructure in Kerala helped them very well.

"While we were still in Delhi, my father used to make endless phone calls to friends in Kerala to find out about the cricket scene there. He didn't know Biju sir at first, but he had a close friend named Ali bhai. He would constantly ask them where he should send me and my brother for cricket training after we moved to Kerala.

“Ali bhai strongly recommended Biju George sir, saying he was the best coach in Kerala and that he would guide us well. My father agreed. On that very first day, we had a short trial where we faced about 10 balls each, so he could see our natural ability. Within just 10 minutes of watching us bat, Biju sir made up his mind.

“He immediately sent my brother to play for the Wayanad district team, he said it would be a great opportunity for him. For me, since I was younger, he said I had to wait because my Under-13 matches were coming up," he added.

The explosive batter stated that the immense sacrifices made by his parents provided him with the ultimate motivation to succeed in playing cricket from a young age. "We loved our routine, morning practice, go to school, rush back, and train again. At that age, it made us feel like we were doing something meaningful. Our peers at school and the academy respected us for it.

“He immediately sent my brother to play for the Wayanad district team, he said it would be a great opportunity for him. For me, since I was younger, he said I had to wait because my Under-13 matches were coming up," he added.

“That is why getting out for 30 or 40 and then going home and telling my dad that I got out for 30 felt a bit heavy. But looking back, that environment brought the best out of me. While my friends played for fun, I walked onto the field with one goal, to make my parents proud and make their sacrifices count. That is what kept me focused at such a young age," he concluded.

Article Source: IANS