A Fistful of Salt

seeking sense within all this noise

Samson, Kishan & Bumrah

Posted on April 20, 2026 by SV Rao

Why has Sanju Samson’s cricket triumph touched the hearts of millions and millions of Indian cricket lovers; from an understated cricketer to India’s T20 World Cup ‘26 HERO. The ‘Darling’ of Kerala Cricket fans, affectionately referred to as ‘Chetta’ (elder brother) by his throngs of supporters.

It’s because nothing has come easy for Samson. He has spent a lifetime preparing for this moment and during his decade long innings he has shown occasionally what he was capable of without being able to get the kind of success he deserved.

He made his IPL debut with Rajasthan Royals at the age of 18 and immediately caught the attention of experts and fans. He donned the Indian colours in 2015 and in his first 23 innings at the top order of the T20 team he scored only 1 fifty. IPL success did not guarantee international runs- so, the quiet and resilient wicket keeper-batter continued to toil in domestic tournaments in front of empty stadiums. Sanju Samson has often spoken about his acute desire to wear the Team India cap and win big trophies for his country; but to make the journey even tougher, along the way with ‘Road Closed’ signs stood the likes of Thala Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul.

There is an emotional video where he speaks about the inspirational leader and big brother Rohit Sharma’s empathy and support for him. That heartfelt 10-minute talk before the 2024 T20 WC final where the captain acknowledged his contributions and personally explained the tough selection calls on why he was left out- this talk meant a lot to him: ‘Tera bhi time aayega’ (your time will come).

So, to the T20 WC earlier this year. Samson was on the bench in the opening matches. Then he dominated the Super 8’s and beyond- 97 not out against the Windies, a match defining 89 in a close win against England and finishing it off with another 89 vs NZ in the finals. 321 runs at an average of 80.25 with a staggering strike rate of 199.37. The undisputed Player of the Tournament and the Toast of an entire nation.

What happened? Sanju Samson finally found himself in a dressing room where the philosophy and vibes matched his own. The high risk-high reward batting where contributions were measured by impact and not individual milestones. So was born our national hero-who strove always for high impact and this time around carried the blessings of consistency.

Sanju Samson, a devout Catholic, has praised Jesus and made signs of the cross on the cricket field and has drawn inspiration from the Bible verse Philippian 4:13- ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’

Another great source of strength has been his father Samson Vishwanath, a former Delhi Police Constable and a retired football player who represented Delhi in the Santosh Trophy. He played a pivotal role by leaving his police job and returning to Kerala when his son was rejected for the Delhi U-13 team. An intensely invested father- his focus was entirely in training Sanju and protecting him from setbacks in his early career. He insisted that his son closely watch icons like Tendulkar and Dravid on TV to develop a strong technique. Mentors matter whether it is on the sports field or off. Here the youngster was blessed- Dravid as his captain and coach at Rajasthan Royals, Rohit Sharma and his personal idol- MS Dhoni. Sanju Samson has spoken about his motivational call with Sachin Tendulkar during the T20 WC itself when he was feeling low and down.

Coming to Ishan Kishan, he played a key role in the T20 WC ‘26. 317 runs in 9 matches with an astounding SR (strike rate) of 193.29. His 77 against Pakistan and a 25-ball 54 in the finals were critical contributions. This was preceded by a stellar domestic season where he led Jharkhand to the T20 title in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament.

His has been a roller-coaster ride with controversy in the air. It will be fair to say that he is now astride the Redemption Arc. His talent was never in doubt as showcased by the 210 run rampage against Bangladesh in 2022 or the 103 off just 43 balls against New Zealand on the 31 Jan 2026- a week before the WC began.

His problems started in late 2023 when he pulled out of the on-going South Africa tour citing mental fatigue. He was later seen partying in Dubai and Mumbai. In early 2024 he was dropped from the BCCI Central Contract as he ignored the directives to play Ranji Trophy matches during his break from international cricket. Strong parental support brought him back on track. His father Pranav Pandey and Ishan himself have credited how reading the Bhagavad Gita helped him overcome his career turmoil and negative public scrutiny. His mother insisted that he carry a pocket edition of the scripture in his kit bag and he has often returned to the teachings in times of stress and anxiety.

An older generation is aware of how Indian cricket lost one of its finest talents in the early 90’s- Vinod Kambli to booze and partying with the wrong crowd. A recent example of things going wrong is Prithvi Shaw, hailed as a break-out star in 2018. In July 2019, his contract was suspended by the BCCI for doping violations. Then he totally lost it- a physical altercation with a social media influencer and her friends went viral on social media. Sad to say that as recently as December 2025 whilst representing Maharashtra he had an ugly fight with his former Mumbai teammates and was physically stopped from hitting one of them with a cricket bat. Prithvi Shaw is just 26 years old. Life has given him another chance. Delhi Capitals have recruited him for IPL 2026 for a price of Rs 75 lakhs. The moral of the story- the glamour, money and fame at top levels in Indian cricket and especially the IPL can easily lead youngsters astray.

The other fascinating takeaway from the success of Samson and Kishan is that Indian batters have taken T20 cricket to another level. Their strike rates almost touch 200. If Gill, KL Rahul or Ruturaj Gaekwad ( SR 138-143) aspire to get back into the format they will have to revamp their shots-gear box and move into a higher-level top gear.

Lastly enter Jasprit Bumrah. Picked up by the MI scouts and drafted for the team in IPL 2013. In the T20 WC ’26, he was the joint highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets and the Player of the Match in the finals with 4/15 vs NZ. He is a rare combination of pace (140+ kmph), lethal accuracy and unorthodox action which makes him difficult to read plus an exceptional death-overs bowler. Sadly, the unorthodox action has resulted in multiple injuries and surgeries with even a down-time of a year. Yet, James Anderson has called him ‘an absolute freak’ for his ability to nail lethal yorkers consistently. Damien Fleming is awed by ‘his curve ball slower delivery.’ Ricky Ponting calls him India’s greatest ever fast bowler-across formats- and that ‘his true value lies in making scoring runs very difficult for batters.’ Harsha Bhogle refers to him as ‘The Magician’ whilst accolades like ‘National Treasure’ and ‘Once in a Generation Player’ are floating all around. To add another dimension, Bumrah is also applauded for ‘his tactical genius in analysing pitch quality.’ Lest people forget, he was the Player of the Tournament in the 2024 T20 WC with15 wickets. In ICC ODI rankings he has held the top bowler slot for 730 days. In Test cricket he remains the No.1, with 234 wickets in 52 matches with a remarkable average of 19.79. Please check some fellow legendary bowlers – Marshall (20.94), McGrath (21.64), Akram (23.62), Murali (22.72) and Warne (25.41). Bumrah has played a seminal role in the Men in Blue’s big wins in SENA nations (South Africa-England-New Zealand- Australia).

Jasprit Bumrah lost his father at a very early age and has been brought up by his mother Daljit Kaur- a schoolteacher and Principal- in Ahmedabad. He attributes his success, focus, hard-work, discipline, passion and humility to his Ma’ji. He also embraces devout Sikh values and sacred teachings and has been quietly supporting many charitable causes -especially sponsoring education for under-privileged children.

Harsha Bhogle has revealed that before the IPL 2026 season, MI proposed to give the same pay cheques to Surya Yadav, Pandya, Rohit Sharma and Bumrah. Rohit bhai stepped forward for a pay-cut as Bumrah with his humungous contributions deserved more. Thus, for the first time has ‘Boom Boom’ earned the highest price-tag at his franchisee.

In Australia, Warne & McGrath are put on the same pedestal as Ponting. In July 2024, James Anderson was given a rousing, emotional farewell by a packed house at Lords. Murali and Wasim Akram are still revered by fans in their countries and far beyond. However, in India batters continue to dominate the headlines and public or fan consciousness. From the ‘Little Master’ Gavaskar to ‘The God of Cricket’ Tendulkar to ‘King Kohli’. RESPECT TO ALL. Taking his match-winning performances and his drive to take India to the top of the cricketing world, Bumrah over the last couple of years has finally become the brand face of an eco-friendly travel gear brand-Uppercase, Skecher shoes, UNIQLO India clothing and for Sun Feast Yippee noodles.

Times are changing. From the Dravid- Rohit Sharma duo to the Sky-Gambhir Management, team effort is being highlighted, and top-class bowlers are finding their place under the bright Indian sun.

The stories of our three-impactful cricketers of the 2026 T20 WC have parallels and differences. But at the core, what they have each scripted are positive stories of grit and determination, faith and support, and self-belief. They represent real, inspiring life lessons.

Viv Richards- Masterclass

Posted on November 1, 2020 by SV Rao

As in other major sports, in cricket too success and failure is all too measurable. It is not only the fans and the experts but also the players who take an obsessive interest in statistics. Very rarely comes a cricketer who transcends numbers, who is beyond records. Say ‘Viv Richards’ and the stats, impressive as they are, fade into the background. The talk is all about his sheer brilliance and his swag. The profound influence he has had on redefining batsmanship and the game itself.

His impact on the teams he has represented has been phenomenal. For the Windies, Clive Lloyd was the father figure, the mentor, the captain. But it was Viv who became the talisman, the catalyst who turned a bunch of easy-going Calypso cricketers into the great West Indian teams from the late 70’s to the early 90’s. His aura on the field, his charisma at the crease and his dominating will to win embodied the Caribbean cricket revolution. Kallicharan, Greenidge, Haynes, Roberts, Holding all rode the waves of their talents and skills and realised themselves as champions.

Take the 1976 tour of England which transformed their cricket. Still hurting from the 5-1 thrashing Down-Under in 1975-76. Tony Greig, the England captain, said that he would make them ‘grovel’. Cricket lore has it that Richards checked out the meaning in the dictionary, “In other words he was going to have us down on our knees-begging for mercy. This was the greatest motivating speech the England captain could have given the West Indian team.” In 4 Tests he smashed 829 runs and the English team into submission. Helped by other impactful performances, it was a historic 3-0 win for Lloyd’s men.

Somerset, till the mid-70’s, were the laggards in county cricket. Enter Richards (+ Ian Botham). The county became the ODI team of the era with 5 trophies in 5 seasons. The Richards effect- instilling self- belief in small town players who had never possessed it before. At the fag-end of his career he signed up with Glamorgan, another struggling team and inspired them to a fairy tale win in the 1993 ODI Axa League title. The aroma of the daffodil win still lingers with the Welsh. Small wonder, that both the English counties have voted him as the best overseas player in a recent BBC sports poll.

Viv Richards- the man for the big occasions. In the inaugural edition of the World Cup finals in 1975, this live-wire fielder ran out Alan Turner and the Chappell brothers as the Windies became world champions. His 138 not out vs hosts England in ‘79 sealed a one-sided final with Collis King firing from the other end. It is widely acknowledged that the turning point in India’s great upset win in WC’ 83 was Kapil Dev’s superb catch to dismiss Richards (33 in 28 balls) just as he was moving into top gear.

In the 2 seasons of Kerry Packer’s World Series cricket against the world’s best bowlers on Aussie wickets he was the pick of the batsmen with 1200 plus runs at an average of 60. On the testing pitches of England and Australia he stamped his class as the best touring batsman of his time. His compatriot and fast bowling great Michael Holding sums it best, “Viv is the best batsman I have seen against anything and everything. He never got intimidated. Hadlee in New Zealand, Lillee in Australia, Qadir in Pakistan, Bedi in India, Botham in England. He got runs against anybody and everybody.”

There are runs and runs. Some runs count more than others for the team. Like the 189 not out at Old Trafford ’84, adding 106 runs for the last wicket and scoring 94 of those runs. Like the 61 not out in 36 balls against India at Sabina Park ‘83 to take his side to a dramatic win. The blistering 60 of 40 balls at the Benson & Hedges Cup final in Australia’ 88-89. Time and again he showed up to change the fortunes of a match, a series or a tournament.

His ability to play attacking cricket, improvise and control the game changed cricket itself. In the mid 70’s batting in Test matches was all about technique and temperament. Bill Lawry, Geoff Boycott and even Sunil Gavaskar were cast in this classic traditional mould. Runs came at a slowish pace with only the bad deliveries put away for four. Hitting the ball in the air was a cardinal sin, against the tenets of the game. There were stroke players like Kanhai and Sobers, Pataudi and Vishwanath, Gower and Ian Chappell who batted with flair and elegance and kept the score board ticking at a faster clip. However, Richards revolutionised the art of batting itself. His very presence at the crease unnerved bowlers. He captured the public imagination with his aggression and raw intent to tear apart the bowling attack. Let’s also not forget that he did this at a time where pitches were more challenging, boundaries were longer, fielding restrictions as of today were not there. He faced upto the fastest bowlers without wearing a helmet. Listen to Jeff Dujon, the Windies keeper-batsman, “He never wore a helmet but had the courage to hook the fastest of deliveries of his face. He never liked to be dominated.” His lightning hand-eye coordination, his flair in the middle and his remarkable performances all put together to make him a truly extraordinary batsman.

Dickie Bird, the famous English umpire, called him “A great character. There are very few left in sports.” Richards took swagger to another level. Scyld Berry, the well-known cricket writer, captures the persona,’ before anyone thought of the phrase, Viv Richards walked the walk. Head held high, jaw working his gum; the maroon cap- never, never the helmet and brandishing his choice of weapon- a Slazenger in his right hand. No choreographer equipped with spotlights and sound effects could have improved upon his entrance. Nobody batted like Richards either. His mental power and the awesomely muscular yet athletic 5’10’’ frame. By the second ball of a Viv Richards innings there were very few, if any, teams who did not recognise the Master in their midst.’

Who better to comment on the MAN than the great rival bowlers of the era. Bob Willis- “The best batsman by a mile. He had this fear factor about him. Even if you bowled a good ball, he could destroy you. He could win matches on his own.” Imran Khan talks about “This complete genius” with “amazing reflexes” who could destroy any attack. Jeff Thomson doffs his cap with his, “Nobody better than Viv” comment. His mate Dennis Lillee, “I just loved bowling to the man. It was such a challenge. I regarded him as one of the supreme players, if not the supreme player.” The great off-spinner Prasanna has called him, “One of the greatest of all time” and Bedi, Underwood and Qadir have all paid fulsome tributes.

The great batsmen peers have all saluted the Caribbean maestro. Gavaskar called his batting ‘Sensational’. Martin Crowe, “He walked out to own the stage.” Inzamam has it that Richards changed the very concept and idea of batting. He remains the ‘hero’ for Tendulkar and Kohli, Sehwag, Gilchrist and Jayasuriya.

The West Indian champion batter was a generation ahead, way ahead of his time. His 100 in 56 balls against England at Antigua ‘86 was only eclipsed by Brendon Mccullum’s century in 54 balls in 2016. Richards would have taken to the T20 format like a fish to water. Imagine the plight of bowlers the world over. Franchisees like the billionaire Mukesh Ambani would have rolled out the red carpet to get this most destructive of batsmen on board. With a blank cheque to write his price.

Hardly surprising that he makes every honour list in cricket. The Wisden’s top 5 cricketers of the last century. Amongst the best 5 Test batsmen ever. The finest ODI batsman in history. 31 man of the match awards in 187 matches at a strike rate of 90 tells its story. Strike rate on par with Kohli today. In 1994 he was knighted for his services to cricket by the Queen of England .(OBE). In 1999 his native Antigua and Barbuda conferred on him the title of Knight Commander of the Order of the Nation. (KCN).

Some may remember that he refused to be a part of the rebel West Indies team to apartheid South Africa in 1983-84. Despite being repeatedly offered a blank cheque. Despite repeated calls from the SA President’s office. Despite the offer of being made an ‘honorary white man’, whatever that means. In the same vein he publicly thanked Ian Botham for always being in his corner and never turning his back on him when the Englishman received hate-mails during their shared apartment years at Taunton, Somerset.

The mettle of the man. In the WC’ 83 semi-final against Pakistan, Qadir deceived him with a googly but the catch was dropped at leg-slip. Richard’s 80 not out propelled his team into their third successive final. Whilst walking back, he approached Qadir with a hand-shake and a, “Well bowled, Sir.’

After India’s disastrous 2007 WC, Tendulkar was planning to retire from cricket. The turmoil in Indian cricket (read Greg Chappell) plus his own inability to bat like the younger Sachin weighed on his mind. A 45 mins call with his ‘hero Viv’ changed all that. The West Indian urged him to continue as he still had a lot to give to Indian cricket. Become the Shaolin master- a mentor and inspiration for the younger guys. The message resonated from one master to the other.

Watch any of his interviews or panel discussions on TV or You-tube. You see a grounded person, generous in his praise for his team-mates and rivals. Bob Willis called him a lovely person who left all his aggression on the field. His emotional eulogies for Abdul Qadir and Bob Willis after their passing in 2019 are touching. For him Gavaskar is the ‘Godfather’ of Indian cricket. He has high praise for Tendulkar and Lara, Dravid and Ponting, Kohli and AB and encouragement for youngsters like Bumrah and KL Rahul. Respect for Akram and Lillee, Bedi and ‘mystery man’ Chandra. He has humorously confessed to being a nervous wreck against our spin quartet on his debut tour of India in 1974. He could not read Chandrashekar at all. That the spinners took the new ball in the fourth over itself psyched him out.

Along with Andy Roberts he has changed the fortunes of Antigua and Barbuda. These had been relegated to forgotten backwaters after the exploitative sugarcane plantations were stopped in the mid ’50’s. Their fame brought international cricket to Antigua in 1981 and opened the doors for tourism. Today these islands attract around 3 lakh tourists annually, thrice the size of the population.

Viv Richards has founded the SVRF to promote education, sports and recreation and health. Thousands of locals have benefitted. He has used his stature and influence to persuade the Indian Manipal group to open its educational and medical facilities in Antigua. The colleges attract more than 100 Indian students every year.

Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards is one of the very few sportsmen who have enriched their sport beyond measure. Federer in tennis, Jordan in basketball, Bolt in athletics, Messi in football. Richards belongs to this exalted company- through his seminal influence and lasting impact on the evolution of cricket and enhancing its appeal-beyond measure.