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For Sanju Samson, the rhythms of cricket and the echo of sea are always intertwined.
His outlook on success and failure were shaped by the unpredictable mood of the Arabian Sea and the daily departure of boats from the fishing hamlet of Vizhinjam. He grew up watching fishermen push their boats into the sea before dawn. Some days the nets returned heavy with fish. Some days they came back almost empty. But the next morning the boats would head out again.
That cycle of hope, disappointment and persistence left a deep impression on young Sanju. His maternal grandfather, Anthonis, used to tell him, "You can't control the sea. You can only control how prepared you are when you go out. Some days you come back with nothing. But you still wake up the next morning and go again."
Life at sea had hardened Anthonis. The qualities he had passed on to his grandson were, resilience, humility and the ability to remain grounded regardless of success. Anthonis taught Sanju to face stoically, both successes and failures. For Anthonis, failure was not an end. He advised Sanju not to be disheartened when opportunities slipped away as fast as they appeared.
Sanju was captivated by his granfather's stories about life at the ocean. There were sudden storms, narrow escapes and long nights at the Sea. They stirred his imagination.
Sanju Samson's personality is restrained. He is calm and composed. He rarely shows anger or emotion during matches. His journey is defined by patience and gradual growth. His temperament had been shaped long ago on the shores of Vizhinjam. There, the fishermen know that success in life is never guaranteed. And that the Sea must be faced again the next morning,
Sanju was born on November 11, 1994. Hardwork and humility have always been his signature. Even as a teenager he had been really focussed. He went on long practice sessions without complaint. He was imbibed with the hunger to keep on practising. He was willing to listen and improve from his younger days
Sanju remains the same humble person even now. He is willing to listen and improve. Fame has not altered him.
To Sanju, Cricket resembles the Sea he grew up with - unpredictable, unforgiving and impossible to control. Like the fishermen he had once observed from the shore, Sanju has learned that the only thing one can do is prepare, go out and try again and try again. ...........................
Excerpts from Times of India of 12 March 2026, narrative by Krishnachand. K. ...........................
I have little more to add.
I had been employed at Valiathura during 1979 - 1980. The office was quite close to the Valiathura Pier. Whenever there were breaks, I used to frequent the Pier. The Pier had been built to commence Port operations at Valiathura. However labour issues had thrown the operations out of gear. The Pier stood there, extended into the Arabian Sea. Quite a lot of tourists would saunter along the bridge upto the last point. You could watch the waves lash the pillars on its final heaves to the shore. It was beautiful. It was terrifying. If you are lucky, you would be slightly drenched by the showers from an unruly wave. I watched the fishermen crouch and extend their lines from the fishing rods into the sea and catch the fish. There were large number of buyers for the fresh fish.
But what astounded me was the Catamarans. They were brought on vehicles upto the final point beyond which it was only the sea. The Catamarans were fully loaded. It had the fishing net, fuel and.provisions. I could see, one fisherman jumping into the sea with a rope tied around his waist and with the other end attached to the Catamaran. Then the Catamaran would be dropped into the sea by a few experienced fishermen who were adept in the operation. Once the Catamaran was in the sea, the second fisherman would jump with a rope attached to his waist as well as the Catamaran. The two fishermen in the sea would steady the Catamaran, climb on it and begin paddling it away with their oars.. They would release the sail if the wind was right.
They chose the pier because they could avoid the strong waves that lashed the shores, to step out into the sea. The Catamarans would proceed to where they could have a good catch. At night while standing on the shore, the lights you view at distance in the sea, would be from the large number of boats out on fishing.
The fishermen would cast their nets in the sea and would return with their catch the next day. When the boats return, it would take more than an hour to draw the fishing net in, laden with the catch.
The manner in which the fishermen fought the elements to make a living had left a lasting impression on me.
I was filled with empathy when I had a customer with two holes in place of his nose. The nose was simply not there. When I enquired what had happened, he revealed that a Catamaran had hit him on his face while at Sea.
It made me understand why the fishermen community were firm believers in God. They are fighters all the way. They know very well,the unpredictability life expounds. But they would fight all the time till they succeed. They never give up.
Sanju Samson is no different.
