India batter Sanju Samson on Saturday opened up about the defining moment that redirected his cricketing life — his father Viswanathan's snap decision to uproot the family from Delhi and move to Kerala after Samson was repeatedly overlooked for the Delhi state cricket team. The revelation came during an appearance on JioStar's show 'Superstars', where Samson traced his journey from gully cricket in GTB Nagar to the international stage.

The Rejection That Changed Everything

Samson recalled attending multiple Delhi trials and state camps, scoring runs but never earning a place in the Delhi District Cricket Association (DDCA) state squad. 'Two or three times I made it to the camp but never got a breakthrough into the state team,' he said. The day the team list was announced without his name proved to be the turning point. 'We returned home in silence,' Samson recounted.

The moment the family reached home, his father acted without hesitation. 'My father told my mother, "We will have to move to Kerala. We are shifting,"' Samson said. His mother initially pushed back, noting the children were only in 6th standard and suggesting they wait until 10th standard. Viswanathan was unmoved. 'My father said, "No, we have to go now. Pack your things. I am booking tickets in three days." He took that decision instantly,' Samson recalled. The family boarded a train to Kerala, where Samson went on to represent the Kerala State cricket team — the foundation of his professional career.

Delhi's Lasting Imprint

Despite the rejection, Samson credited Delhi with giving him his love for sport. His father served in the Delhi Police football team, and the family lived in the police colony in GTB Nagar. 'Delhi has played a very big role in my life, to be very honest. My life started in Delhi,' he said. Cricket was ubiquitous in the colony — played in the middle of the road with stumps set up between quarters — and Samson was drawn to it naturally.

Viswanathan, himself a footballer, was perceptive enough to spot his son's batting instinct early. 'He told me, "I saw you batting and I felt that you have talent." So, he made me and my brother play cricket instead of football,' Samson said. The father's eye for talent, combined with his decisive nature, would prove pivotal twice over.

A Childhood Memory at Feroz Shah Kotla

Samson also shared a cherished early memory — a practice session at the iconic Arun Jaitley Stadium, formerly known as Feroz Shah Kotla. His father, on police duty at the ground, arranged an hour in the nets for the family. 'We got ready in our full whites. We all went to Feroz Shah Kotla in a bus,' Samson recalled. 'I don't know, it must have been a big blessing. I don't know how my father managed it, but nowadays they don't allow such things.'

Samson's Current Form and England Series

The disclosure comes at a testing phase of Samson's international career. He was the standout performer at the T20 World Cup earlier this year — hitting three consecutive fifties and being named Player of the Tournament — but has since struggled for consistency. He managed scores of 5 and 0 in the series defeat to Ireland, and posted just 1 in the abandoned T20I against England in Durham. Samson is expected to get another opportunity to rediscover his touch when India take on England in the second T20I at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The story of his father's three-day ultimatum is a reminder that behind many sporting careers lies a single, irreversible decision made at the right — or seemingly wrong — moment.