People call me the unluckiest cricketer: Sanju Samson

Star wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson recently stated that people call him the 'unluckiest cricketer' amid being continuously snubbed by the national selectors. The fans' outrage came after he was excluded from the squad for the ongoing T20I series against Australia. Apart from his supporters, even Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor criticised the management stating it as unfair treatment.

Despite showcasing his skills in the white-ball format, Samson has been consistently absent from the squads, including those for the Asia Cup and the ODI World Cup. Despite making his ODI debut in 2021 and amassing 390 runs in 13 games with an impressive average of 55.71 and a strike rate of 104.00, the 29-year-old cricketer from Kerala finds himself on the sidelines. Following his omission from the squad for the home series against Australia, Samson responded to the comments from disappointed fans.

“People call me the unluckiest cricketer, but where I’ve reached currently, it’s much more than what I thought I could," Samson said during an exclusive interview on Dhanya Varma’s YouTube channel.

The Rajasthan Royals' skipper further opened up on the backing that he has previously received from India captain Rohit Sharma.

“Rohit Sharma was the first or second person who came to me and talked. He told me 'hey Sanju, wassup. You performed well in the IPL, but hit too many sixes against Mumbai Indians. You bat really well'. I had great support from him," the 29-year-old added.

Sanju's most recent appearance for the Indian cricket team was in a three-match T20I series against Ireland in August, where he played under the captaincy of Jasprit Bumrah. Subsequently, he was named as a reserve wicketkeeper-batter for the Asia Cup 2023, but didn't get an opportunity to play and has not donned an India shirt since then.

The 29-year-old, who made his debut in the IPL in 2013 for the Rajasthan Royals, earned the Emerging Player of the Year award and has been leading the team since 2021. Additionally, he serves as the captain for Kerala in domestic cricket.

One of his standout performances occurred during the 2019–20 Vijay Hazare Trophy against Goa, where he scored an unbeaten 212 at the Alur Cricket Stadium in Bengaluru. This remarkable innings marked the sixth instance of an Indian cricketer achieving a double-century in List A cricket and stands as the second-fastest double-century in the format.