Getting the IPL’s young player award was not something which Sanju V.Samson had bargained for when he signed up with Rajasthan Royals for the sixth edition of the high profile tournament.

But with strokes and maturity belying his age, Sanju caught the imagination of the public and is now the new role model in Kerala which is still to come to grips with Sreesanth’s involvement in match fixing scandal.

The boy, who is living his father Samson Viswandh’s dream , is not getting carried away at the attention and hype surrounding him. He is firmly grounded and working zealously to realise his ultimate aim of the India cap. After being away from home for four months, the youngster is taking a short break from the game to recharge his batteries for more strenuous assignments ahead. He took time off to have a chat with city focus. Excerpts from the interview.

Q: How has your life changed after IPL. Are you comfortable with your new found celebrity status?.

A:Of course IPL changed my profile. People have started recognising me on the street. At first I was a bit uncomfortable with all the attention but gradually got over it. Now I don’t mind people coming and appreciating me. But what really surprised me was when people recognised me in Sri Lanka. It was unbelievable.

But as cricketer, expectations have been high on me and it something which i have to deal with. For me what is important is to stay at the top of my game, make less mistakes and hope to learn from failures. At the end of the day I am just a normal kid with taste and ambitions like any other 18-year-old .

Q: How do you relax. With such hectic schedule is it possible for you to stay in touch with your friends.?

A: I am not a kind of guy who spends a lot of time with friends because cricket and training doesn’t give me that luxury. But i do make it a point to meet my friends when i am in town. I don’t have many friends from outside cricket circle and all my friends are mostly my team-mates who played with me right from my under-13 days. I watch movie with my friends once in a while. I watch mostly hindi movies primarily because i lived in North india. I listen to music mostly AR Rahman’s songs to relax during matches. I do like western music also,

Q: Are you fussy with your food?.

A: Not at all. While on tours I can’t be choosy. But i am not much of a glutton. But i love food cooked by my mother especially chicken dishes. I relish it when i get back from tours. It is something which i really miss

Q: What are your immediate goals?.

A: Getting into the India A squad was a natural progression for me. I am keen to do well in champions league and for India under-19 team. I am constantly working with my coach Biju sir to improve my wicket-keeping. On of my aims is to help Kerala qualify for the Ranji Trophy knock out and hopefully win the national championship. Well the ultimate aim for any cricketer is the India cap and it is a childhood dream for me. I hope i will be able to realise it.


Sanju V.Samson More Stills


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