On Sanju Samson’s Twitter handle, there is a three-second video that could bring a smile in these depressing times. You would find a young, bearded Christian priest, in white flowing robes, bowling slow left-arm orthodox to the dashing batsman.
You would be impressed by the turn the priest extracts from a road of a pitch – literally – just as you would be by the video's background. The visuals are from a training session Sanju had in Kollam, a place he had driven to recently from his home in Thiruvananthapuram after a lockdown was declared in the capital following a COVID-19 spike.
“For the last 15 weeks, I had regular sessions of batting, running and gym and I didn't want the lockdown to affect me,” Sanju told The Hindu over phone. “Fortunately, my friend has an academy at Kollam with adequate facilities and there were also people like Fr. Rebeiro to bowl at me.”
Sanju is delighted that he would soon be able to find out how the sessions – “the hardest training schedule ever” – have helped him.
“Like every cricketer, I have been eagerly waiting for the IPL to start. I think it would lift the spirits of not just the players but that of the entire country and the rest of the cricketing world.”
He wants to win matches for Rajasthan Royals.
“In T20 cricket, you have to score quickly and that’s what I have been doing in the IPL over the years.
“You can't waste 10 balls when Virat Kohli is padded up to bat next.”
Sanju thinks the wickets in the UAE could be a bit slow. “We have to play so many matches on three grounds, but they should be good enough for batting.”
