Indian cricketer Sanju Samson’s homecoming to Trivandrum was commemorated with a huge, 40 feet cutout.
It has been set up by the Sanju Samson Fans Association (SSFA) — a registered organisation for activities
around celebrating the cricketer’s achievements and for charitable work in his name — at the Greenfield International Stadium, where India will play the fifth T20I against New Zealand on Saturday.
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The cutout is from the first T20I between South Africa and India at Kingsmead Stadium in Durban on November 8, 2024, where Samson scored a century and celebrated by flexing his biceps.
This is not the first time the fans have showered their love on Samson with this honor, usually reserved for world-renowned, legendary footballers, having erected a similar figure before IPL 2024. Samson is one of Kerala’s most successful cricketers (the only one to come close is Sreesanth, but his career was full of controversies), and his fans explain this fandom by pointing to his earnest, down-to-earth demeanor.
This time it’s extra special as Samson is coming home to play his first-ever international match at home.
“We are all excited because Sanju is going to play in the Indian jersey here in Trivandrum,” Liju Joseph, the president of SSFA, told News18 CricketNext. “It’s something very special for us. When we suggested putting this cutout to our members, everyone was happy to contribute. As always, our members showed their love. Some gave ₹100, some ₹150, ₹200, ₹500, ₹5,000, and even ₹10,000. It’s our tribute, our gift of love to our pride, Sanju Samson, straight from our hearts,” Joseph added.
It couldn’t have come at a more pivotal moment for Samson, who’s under pressure to maintain his place in the team after four consecutive no-shows in the series. Having been selected for the 2026 T20 World Cup, a fifth consecutive failure might not get him dropped from that squad, but he’d probably be replaced by the in-form Ishan Kishan in the opening slot for the next week’s tournament opener against the USA.
“We are very excited, and we hope Sanju scores big today. But no matter what, whether he scores or not, we are always with Sanju. His runs are just an added bonus for us,” Joseph added.
