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India’s last stop before the T20 World Cup happens to be Thiruvananthapuram, where they play New Zealand in the dead-rubber final T20I of the series. And when it’s Thiruvananthapuram, one name that resonates among cricket fans in the town is hometown hero Sanju Samson. However, Samson, a fan favourite among many, is currently in a form slump; his last fifty came against Oman in the Asia Cup in September. With four consecutive low scores in the ongoing series, Samson’s T20 World Cup fate is in the air. He remains part of the squad, but with every failure, the chances of him staying part of the Playing XI diminish just a little, especially with Ishan Kishan breathing down his neck.
As the team landed in Thiruvananthapuram, India captain Suryakumar Yadav was in the mood to pull Samson’s leg, teasing the batter as the players made their way out of the airport. “Get out of the way. Move aside. Make way, please. Don’t disturb Chetta,” Surya said as he cleared the way for Samson to arrive in style. A shy Samson got even borderline embarrassed, but it was all in good spirits. There on, this is how the conversation went.
Surya: Landing in god’s own country
Samson: Feeling great. Always feels great, but this time it’s very special.
Surya: Extra special?
Samson: Yes
The moment Samson stepped out of the airport, he was greeted with loud cheers from a sea of fans gathered to catch a glimpse of him and the rest of the Indian team. Samson made his way towards the team bus with a big smile on his face, as the noise refused to die down.
Saturday’s fifth ODI would, in fact, be the first time Samson will play in front of his home crowd. With nothing to lose, India would want to give Samson another opportunity to get back among runs before they open their World Cup campaign against the USA.
