Former Indian national cricket team captain Rohit Sharma believes that he has prepared himself for many difficult situations in his life and in one such situation he supported Sanju Samson. Rohit mentioned how important it is to keep your focus during such phases, and he was just trying to save Samson from getting frustrated.
Before Sanju Samson performed brilliantly for India on the occasion of the ICC T20 World Cup, he was not even a part of the playing eleven for India in this World Cup. His only appearance was in the second game against Namibia, as Abhishek Sharma missed it due to ill health.
However, one person who continued to support him during these difficult times was former Indian captain Rohit Sharma. He had reassured him on the very first day when they met at the Wankhede before the game against the United States, and his words bore fruit when Samson finally played one of India’s most memorable T20 World Cup innings at the Eden Gardens three weeks later.
Rohit Sharma breaks silence on boosting Sanju Samson’s morale
Rohit was praised for his unwavering support towards Sanju, after which he admitted that he himself had gone through a similar phase in the early days of his career. Everyone knows that Rohit was not a regular for the T20I team until 2012 and he played his first major T20 World Cup tournament for India in 2014 as an opening batsman.
Rohit Sharma said, “I can feel the pulse of the player sometimes. I myself have been in that position where, you know, when I was in such tournaments, my chances did not come. It is important that you stay focused and try to do the right things and not get disappointed if you don’t get the chance.”
“I felt the same for him, because he was playing consistently for India and then he got dropped just before the World Cup started. I just wanted to tell him that it’s a long tournament, and funny things have happened in the past. So I just wanted to reassure him that your chance will come, and that’s what happened,” Rohit reflects on Sanju Samson’s rise during tough times.
The former captain praised Samson, saying, “It was an important game for India and he played brilliantly.”
Rohit Sharma’s journey with the Indian team: A brief trivia
Young Mumbai boy Rohit Sharma made his debut for India as a 20-year-old cricketer in 2007. Leading the way for India on several occasions, including some useful innings in India’s victorious 2007 T20 World Cup campaign, or the prestigious Commonwealth Bank Series win for India on Australian soil.
Rohit has always been important for the Indian team, but amidst the superstars of the game, Rohit could not make a permanent place for himself in the eleven. Before MS Dhoni realized his potential at the top of the batting order, he played almost the first 6 years of his career in the middle order.
He succeeded when Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir gradually faded out of international cricket and Rohit stepped in for India. Rohit scored a double century in ODIs in 2013, the third by an Indian batsman in this format and since then, he never looked back.
He became one of India’s greatest ever white-ball cricketers, scoring the third-highest number of runs for India in ODIs and the highest run-scorer in T20Is. He led India to two ICC trophies and is one of India’s best record holders in the ICC ODI World Cup. He is still in contention to make it to the 2027 CWC for India.
Sanju Samson was part of the Indian team in the 2024 T20 World Cup.
However, last time in 2024, Sanju Samson did not get the support of the former Indian captain. He was part of India’s squad as their second-choice keeper-batsman, but Rohit Sharma and then coach Rahul Dravid remained adamant on Rishabh Pant, despite the southpaw’s consistently good performances.
Samson won his first ICC trophy while sitting on the bench without making any appearances. He made his World Cup debut against Namibia in 2026 and will have a chance to make a real contribution and win his first trophy when India take on New Zealand on Sunday.
Also read: Ayush Mhatre’s praise for Rohit Sharma creates stir in CSK camp
