'The World Knows It's Unfair': Sanju Samson's Brother Saly Breaks Silence on India Selection Snubs | Exclusive

From Delhi to a sudden trip back to Kerala, the Samson family had to undergo a tectonic change in their lives to make the present-day Sanju Samson.

In order to provide Sanju more opportunities, the entire family uprooted their lives in the capital and took the long train back home to Vizhinjam, at the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram.

Sanju's parents made a huge sacrifice, and his elder brother Saly as well. The two brothers are closely connected to each other. Although they exchange very limited words, the two know that they have each others' back, which was evident in the Kerala Cricket League last season, when Saly captained his younger sibling Sanju in the tournament.

"I am a silent supporter," Saly told MyKhel a year back when Sanju was going through a purple patch in the Indian team.

Sanju Samson's international career has often been marked by inconsistency in opportunities rather than performances. Whenever handed an opportunity, Samson has shown the ability to change games with his aggressive strokeplay and versatility. Yet, sustained backing at the international level has remained elusive, making his journey one of the most debated selection stories in Indian cricket over the past few years.

Sanju's resilience oozed in the T20 World Cup earlier this year. The Kerala player was not the starter as he endured a dip in form leading up to the World Cup, but when he got an opportunity, he immediately kicked in. Sanju played three majestic knocks in the last three matches of the World Cup, and drove India to their third T20 World Cup title. He amassed 321 runs and also won the Player of the Tournament award.

But fast forward a couple of months, Sanju has faced the same inconsistency in selection again. After failing to score in three matches, he was dropped in the England tour and was subsequently left out from the Zimbabwe series.

When MyKhel caught up with Saly and asked about his younger brother, the elder sibling was calm yet firm in his comments.

"Not just me thinking that it is unfair; now the whole world knows that it is unfair. Whatever opportunities he rarely got, he has done well. To be honest, it has been unfair over the last 10 years."

"I don't know exactly what has gone wrong from his side, but I believe God is taking care of everything. Every effort he has put in has been rewarded in its own way. Even in the last World Cup, things eventually came together for him, and I believe that was God giving him what he truly deserved. I just hope people recognise the potential he has and give him consistent opportunities instead of picking and dropping him every now and then. That's all I can ask for. I can't blame anyone - I can only pray that he gets the opportunities and recognition he deserves."

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Sanju Samson: What's Next?

For now, Sanju Samson remains away from the 22 yards, with his next assignment set to be the Asian Games in Japan, where he has been named in India's squad. At 31, setbacks are nothing new for the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter. Despite delivering match-winning performances at regular intervals and playing a role in India's successful 2024 T20 World Cup campaign, he has repeatedly found himself on the fringes of the national setup.

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Yet, through every disappointment, one constant has remained-his support system, led by his family. Standing firmly by Sanju's side, he continues to believe that consistent opportunities will eventually come the batter's way. His faith reflects the sentiment shared by several former India cricketers, who have also questioned Samson's repeated omissions despite the runs,

For Sanju, however, dwelling on selection debates has never been the way forward. As he turns his focus to the Asian Games, he does so knowing that another chance to wear the India colours will come. And when it does, he will once again look to let his bat do the talking.