India’s talented batter Sanju Samson revealed that Sachin Tendulkar’s epic Desert Storm innings against Australia inspired him to take up cricket. In the sixth match of the tri-series between India, Australia and New Zealand, Tendulkar was at his absolute best against the Aussies.
The Master Blaster scored a brilliant knock of 143 off just 131 balls with the help of nine fours and five sixes at Sharjah in April 1998. Tendulkar’s masterclass helped India qualify for the final even though they suffered a 26-run loss in that game.
In the final, Tendulkar scored another blistering knock of 134 runs off 131 balls to help his team chase down the target of 273. The talisman was awarded Player of the Series for scoring 435 runs in five matches at an average of 87 and a strike rate of 100.46.
“I was watching a game sitting in Delhi police quarters or police colony room in a small TV, Sachin sir was batting in that game, the Sharjah storm innings, he was just smashing the bowlers. So, that moment it actually struck me that ‘Sanju, you can also do that’. That actually inspired me the most,” Sanju Samson said in an interview with R Ashwin.
On the other hand, Samson recalled how he impressed former fast bowler S Sreesanth, who took him to give trials at Rajasthan Royals.
“Rahul sir used to just practice, practice, practice, and that is how I saw him when I was a 14-year-old kid. The second time was when Sreesanth bhai took me to the RR trials at the age of 17. He used to take 5-7 players from Kerala every year for trials. We used to play Ranji together, and in one game, he did not see me in the team. So, he called up the secretary and asked why Sanju was not in the team. The next day I flew to play against Andhra, and I scored a 100 in front of him,” Sanju Samson revealed.
Samson has reportedly asked RR to give him clarity on his future.
