Sanju Samson confident to emulate MS Dhoni's feat of making it big from a small town

When it comes to cricketing culture and history, Ranchi is no powerhouse as the Mumbai or Delhi circuit. Cricketers from smaller centres often look up to MS Dhoni as someone extremely successful despite coming from a place that is not renowned for cricket. Rajasthan Royals' wicketkeeper-batsman from Kerala, Sanju Samson is also one of them.

Sanju Samson wants to take a cue from MS Dhoni's career 

Kerala, as a state, is predominantly widely known for its esteemed football culture when it comes to sports. However, Sanju Samson had different plans as he made cricket his profession. The flair with which the youngster takes his game has earned him admiration from all over the globe.

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Sanju Samson, a 25-year-old who is in the scheme of things as a wicket-keeper batsman when it comes to white-ball cricket, said that MS Dhoni has emerged to be an influence in international cricket right from his early days. Statements from Samson came on August 15, after Dhoni hung his boots from his international cricket.

Talking to Gulf News, he added how since the time of Dhoni's debut, he started inspiring the likes of him. Dhoni's famous quick-fire 148 off just 123 balls against Pakistan in April 2005, too made a significant impact on the young Kerala-based cricketer.

Five years after making his international debut, Sanju Samson resurfaced into the national side in January 2020. In the series at home versus Sri Lanka and also on the away tour of New Zealand, the wicketkeeper from Rajasthan Royals struggled to make a mark. KL Rahul eventually secured the position of the wicketkeeper in the T20Is, as Rishabh Pant too failed to make the most of the chances provided to him.

However, he seems confident to bounce back after riding on an impressive domestic season and does not believe in competition as such. The hard work that he has been putting up for the last eight to nine years will be fruitful for him. Samson was also full of praise for ex-Rajasthan Royals coach and India captain Rahul Dravid as well as sports psychologist Paddy Upton for working on his mental conditioning and adaptability to certain skills for excelling not only in the IPL, but as a cricketer in general.

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All is not lost for the dynamic batsman, as with age on his side he surely is bound to get several opportunities to make a name for himself. Samson will be representing his franchise Rajasthan Royals in the upcoming IPL 2020, where he will be looking to catch the eye of the selection committee one more time. Though his skill and elegance are rated very highly by pundits of the game, consistency has been the question when it comes to his selection. 

Dhoni calls it quits 

After a career filled with all the accolades that a player could wish for, MS Dhoni, who was on a sabbatical for a year, announced his retirement from international cricket through his Instagram post on August 15.

MS Dhoni will still lead the Chennai Superkings (CSK) in IPL 2020 though and his retirement from international cricket has given a brighter chance for youngsters like Sanju Samson to cement his position in the Indian team.

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IPL 2020 details

Fans will be able to witness their favourite players like MS Dhoni and Sanju Samson soon with the IPL 2020 commencing from September 19. With the COVID-19 pandemic going around, the season surely will be one of a kind. It will interesting to see how players cope up playing in a stadium that is devoid of a live audience.

(Image Source: Sanju Samson's Instagram)

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