Sanju Samson has taken inspiration from back home, in Mohanlal – an award-winning actor from Kerala (Photo by Francois Nel/Getty Images)

Sanju Samson has drawn inspiration from Malayalam cinema icon Mohanlal as he adapts to a new role in India’s T20I setup. Speaking ahead of the Asia Cup Super Fours clash against Bangladesh, Samson said he was ready to take on different responsibilities for the team, akin to the actor’s diverse portrayals of characters on-screen.Samson had been India’s preferred opener in the lead-up to the tournament, scoring three centuries, which is the third-most by any Indian in the format. But with Shubman Gill promoted to vice-captain and used as opener, Samson has been shifted to the middle order.When asked about his best position by Sanjay Manjrekar, Samson responded with an unexpected comparison.“See, there’s our actor, Mohanlal, who got a big award from the Indian government. He has been an actor for 20 years. I have been playing for India for 10 years. So, I can’t come in and say I want to do the ‘hero’ role every time. I can do the villain role, and I can also do the Joker role for my country,” Samson said on Sony Sports Network.Mohanlal recently received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award at the 71st National Film Awards, a recognition Samson referenced while stressing his readiness to serve the team in any capacity.

On the field, Samson’s numbers have been mixed. He scored a scratchy 56 against Oman when promoted to No. 3 but managed only 13 runs in the Super Fours clash against Pakistan. Assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has admitted the wicketkeeper-batter is still adjusting to the middle-order role, but said that he is the “best man for the job.”

Irfan Pathan’s tweet on X (Screengrab)

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan also joined the banter online, tweeting, “Sanju Mohanlal Samson @IamSanjuSamson.”