‘4 people wasted my son’s career’
In an emotional outburst, cricketer Sanju Samson’s father points a finger at ex-captains — M S Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma — and former coach Rahul Dravid. Says his son wasn’t given a fair chance
Though cricketer Sanju Samson has finally come into his own in the cricket field after a decade of being in the background, his father blames a few top players for the lag in his son’s career.
In a video that has gone viral, Sanju’s father Samson Viswanath when talking to a Malayali news outlet Media One, has said former Team India captains M S Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and former coach Rahul Dravid were responsible for his son not being able to make a name for himself in international cricket. “There are 3-4 people who wasted 10 years of my son’s vital career...captains like Dhoniji, Viratji, Rohitji and coach Dravidji,” he is heard saying in the video.
According to him, the former captains along with the coach did not give Sanju Samson the opportunities he deserved. Despite having impressive averages of 28 in List A cricket, 35 in First-Class cricket, and 27 in the IPL until 2020, Sanju was allegedly overlooked for team selections, which Viswanath believes hindered his son’s international career.
Sanju’s coach speaks
The cricketer’s childhood coach, Biju George, feels Sanju has talent and can play for India for a long time. Speaking exclusively, he said, “I read the statement by Sanju’s father... I don’t want to comment on this but I believe, the BCCI and its selectors are fair and on the right platform at the right time, Sanju will perform well. I am not sure if his father’s painful statement can come in the way of his career.”
Yuvraj Singh’s dad too had similar complaints
Yograj Singh, the father of former cricketer Yuvraj Singh, has also been vocal about his grievances against MS Dhoni and a few senior players. Yograj accused Dhoni of not supporting Yuvraj and claimed that certain senior players manipulated team selections to favor others. This resentment from Yograj reflects the emotional struggles that families of cricketers go through when they believe their loved ones have not been treated fairly.
Amit Mishra’s had the same grouse
Amit Mishra, the talented leg-spinner, shared his disappointment regarding the lack of opportunities during his cricket career. Though he did not name specific individuals, Mishra felt he never got the chance to fully showcase his abilities, ultimately leading him to announce his retirement. His colleagues and friends then, like Dhoni and Virat Kohli, did nothing to help though they had the power to do so.
Sanju’s coach speaks
The cricketer’s childhood coach, Biju George, feels Sanju has talent and can play for India for a long time. Speaking exclusively, he said, “I read the statement by Sanju’s father... I don’t want to comment on this but I believe, the BCCI and its selectors are fair and on the right platform at the right time, Sanju will perform well. I am not sure if his father’s painful statement can come in the way of his career.”
Yuvraj Singh’s dad too had similar complaints
Yograj Singh, the father of former cricketer Yuvraj Singh, has also been vocal about his grievances against MS Dhoni and a few senior players. Yograj accused Dhoni of not supporting Yuvraj and claimed that certain senior players manipulated team selections to favor others. This resentment from Yograj reflects the emotional struggles that families of cricketers go through when they believe their loved ones have not been treated fairly.
Amit Mishra’s had the same grouse
Amit Mishra, the talented leg-spinner, shared his disappointment regarding the lack of opportunities during his cricket career. Though he did not name specific individuals, Mishra felt he never got the chance to fully showcase his abilities, ultimately leading him to announce his retirement. His colleagues and friends then, like Dhoni and Virat Kohli, did nothing to help though they had the power to do so.
His sentiments resonate with the frustrations of many cricketers who believe they were not given a fair shot. The grievances shared by Sanju Samson’s father, Yograj Singh, and Amit Mishra shed light on the challenges faced by cricketers in their journey to success. Many talented players lost out because they didn’t get selected.