Sanju - The Dreamer
The importance of being earnest
I broke my long break with alcohol over a couple of Belgian Blonde beers at Deja Brew while watching the Indian bowling unit defend the Indian total in the T20 World Cup 2026.
India had already got off to a flying start while I was showering after back to back Cult Fit classes. I had already missed the toss and first five overs of the much awaited match.
I was hoping that Sanju Samson would open for India as he was in sublime form. But I was glad he actually did. He was out and busy hitting while I was burning some calories.
Laughing at Oneself
What I love about this man is that he can laugh at his own bad luck or lost opportunities while maintaining his grace.
He might be put in the cutie bucket but he is definitely not a hottie like Virat Kohli. In spite of the oomph gap he now has the highest score in an Indian T20 chase.
Sanju sees himself as more of a team player in spite of his superb knocks and doesn’t craft grand stories about his recent feats. He carries himself with a sense of lightness that is hard to conceive.
When a reporter asked him about two missed centuries after the England game, he cheekily said — “I have not missed two centuries. The fact that I got 97 and 89 is a big deal. And I’m grateful for that.” (paraphrased from his Hindi statements). This statement of his made him an endearing sportsperson in my books.
Sometimes I believe that T20 has turned batsmen into circus monkeys as they get into weird positions to hit the ball. But Sanju is one of the exceptions where he preserves the aesthetic beauty of batting and sticks to proper cricketing shots.
He might have played differently during past matches. But it is a treat to the eyes when he sticks to gentlemen’s way of batting and doesn’t resort to street cricket brand of batting.
The last time I felt something like this for a cricketer was in 2010 when Rahul Dravid was hitting his big knocks against Australia.
Waiting for his Turn
But what truly touched my heart was his reaction to the presenter while receiving his “Player of the Tournament” award. He said something to that effect that he felt like his dream was shattered after New Zealand series but he continued to dream. “Out of words, out of emotions, I’m just going through it. So, it feels a bit surreal”, he said.
The man recalled how he could not play a match in 2024 world cup. “I kept on visualising, I kept on dreaming, I kept on working,” he says.
“I was courageous enough to dream about it”, was the line that hit me.
He speaks with a sense of earnestness that is hard to manufacture or instill in someone who has waited for his turn for so long. If you watch this story close enough, you will definitely realise that this is the defining story popping out of this world cup.
Of course, nobody can deny that Bumrah is our national treasure.
Cheers!