'You'll be removed from team only after 21 ducks,' Gambhir told Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson has credited India's head coach Gautam Gambhir and T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav for rescuing his international career, which has completed 10 years.

In an interview with retired cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin on the latter's YouTube channel, Sanju talked about the transformation in his international career since the 2024 World Cup. Sanju was part of India's victorious World Cup squad, though he did not play a match in the tournament.

Sanju said a chat with Gambhir after being dismissed for consecutive ducks during a Sri Lanka tour helped him regain confidence. "I played two matches in Sri Lanka, and I was out for ducks in both matches. Then you go back to the same feeling," Sanju told Ashwin.

"I was a bit down in the dressing room, and Gauti (Gambhir) bhai came and asked 'kya hua' (what happened?).

"I said 'chance mila par mein maar nahi paya (got my chance, but I couldn't score). (he said) To kya hua. Agar tu 21 duck marta hai na, tab mein tuje team se bahar karunga (So what? I will remove you from the team only if you make 21 ducks)."

That was in July 2024, and since then, Sanju has scored three centuries. He hit his maiden international ton (111) against Bangladesh in Hyderabad before making it consecutive centuries with 107 against South Africa in Durban. Though he endured a brief spell of misfortune in South Africa, getting dismissed for consecutive ducks, Sanju wrapped up the tour with an unbeaten 109 in Johannesburg.

Sanju said he had been promised a run of seven games by India's T20I skipper Suryakumar when they met during a domestic campaign (Duleep Trophy game in Andhra).

"That kind of confidence from the captain and the coach, raised up my feel. That really helped me to go out there and do what I did after that," Sanju said.

The 30-year-old Kerala star is expected to be part of India's squad for the upcoming Asia Cup to be held in the UAE from September 9 to 28.

‘It wasn’t easy’
Sanju made his international debut in 2015 as a 20-year-old swashbuckling wicketkeeper batter. But he was overlooked for five years after the debut game against Zimbabwe in Harare, where he made 19.

Sanju made a few notable contributions but was mostly unsuccessful since his second return in 2020, scoring only two fifties (77 against Ireland in 2021 and 58 against Zimbabwe in July 2024).

"Being on and off the team was happening for a very long period of time. Honestly, it was not easy.

"I almost completed 8 to 9 years of my international career, but I had only played 15 games or something. So I was there, I was not there, I was there, I was not there.

But I always tried to keep myself in a positive frame of mind. I kept on telling myself it will happen, that different people have different journeys, yours is different, respect that, be mindful of that," Sanju said.