Vishwanath Samson, the father of India wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, has levelled serious accusations against prominent figures in Indian cricket, including Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Rahul Dravid, and Rohit Sharma, saying they have wasted his son’s ten valuable years by failing to provide him with regular opportunities at the international level. Samson is participating in the current four-match T20I series in South Africa. He scored a century in the first game of the series, but in the second game he was ducking.
In a recent interview with Kerala-based news organisation Media One, Vishwanath Samson bemoaned his son’s perceived ten years of missed potential. He specifically called out former captains MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, as well as former coach Rahul Dravid, alleging that their decisions had stifled Sanju’s international career. “There are 3-4 people who wasted 10 years of my son’s vital career… captains like Dhoni ji, Virat [Kohli] ji, Rohit [Sharma] ji, and coach [Rahul] Dravid ji,” he said, adding that they had “destroyed 10 years of my son’s life.”
Despite the setbacks, Vishwanath Samson praised his son’s resilience, stating, “The more they hurt him, the stronger Sanju came out of the crisis.”
Samson’s father attacked former cricketer Kris Srikkanth in addition to the present and previous Indian team leadership. Srikkanth was accused by Vishwanath of disparaging Sanju’s accomplishments, especially his first T20I century against Bangladesh. “What hurt me really bad was comments from [Kris] Srikkanth, the player from Tamil Nadu,” he said. “He said, ‘against whom did Sanju score a century? It was only Bangladesh.’ Century is a century, and that guy has scored only 26 runs against Bangladesh. Sanju has scored a hundred and he is a player with a classical touch like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. At least respect that.”
Known for his composure and modesty, Sanju Samson usually stays out of the spotlight. His father’s candid remarks, however, have swiftly gained widespread attention on social media and sparked discussion among both fans and commentators. Samson has maintained his peak performance in spite of the criticism, showcasing his talent and tenacity on the global scene.
