During a conversation on Ravichandran Ashwin‘s YouTube channel, Kutti Stories with Ash, Sanju Samson was asked to name his cricketing hero. While most wicketkeeper-batters today follow MS Dhoni and Adam Gilchrist as their idols, Samson’s choice was unexpected. He named Indian ODI captain Rohit Sharma as his idol, and the answer caught Ashwin by surprise.

When Ashwin asked Samson about a current player, who excites him most, he took 14-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi’s name. He is a promising young player with whom he shared the dressing room during the 2025 IPL season with Rajasthan Royals. Samson was impressed by Suryavanshi and believes that the youngster has a bright future ahead. The left-handed opener played seven matches, scoring 252 runs at an average of 36, and an astonishing strike rate of over 206.

Rohit Sharma, alongside Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, retired from T20Is in 2024, following India’s victory in the T20 World Cup. After their departure, Samson took over the opening role in the shortest format for India, stepping into Rohit’s shoes. Samson has accumulated 861 runs at an average of 25.3 and a remarkable strike rate of 152.4. He is anticipated to open the batting for India in the forthcoming Asia Cup.