Samson’s breezy ton, Lloyd’s prophecy, and Gomes: the ‘Six Appeal’ mentor
By K.R. Nayar Following a cricketer with immense talent is always a delight. The journey with such a player often brings fond memories. Reports on the player can also play a role in boosting their career. All of the above relates to Sanju Samson. It was heartening to see praises being heaped on Samson after he smashed a breezy 111 off just 47 balls for India against Bangladesh in Hyderabad. When television reporters asked him about the five sixes he hit in one over, he responded: “My mentor told me, ‘You have to hit five sixes in one over, and I’m waiting for that.’ I was chasing it, and it happened today.” The mentor he referred to was Raiphi Vincent Gomes, who had once hit five sixes in an over for Kerala against a star-studded Hyderabad team in the 2010 Subbaiah Pillai One Day tournament. Since I am always on the alert for such exceptional moments, I had reached out to Gomes after that knock and written a story for Gulf News. The headline for the piece was “Kerala batsman