Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson announced scholarships for 1,000 UPSC Civil Services aspirants on September 10, 2026. The initiative was unveiled at the Lead India Summit in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
The programme was launched by the Sanju Samson Foundation in association with Lead IAS Academy. It will prioritise students from Vizhinjam, Samson’s hometown, and neighbouring coastal regions of Kerala.
“Despite needing to be at practice at 6am, I have overslept till 7. I have made mistakes. Making mistakes isn’t the problem. Repeating the same thing over and over again is. To err is human, but what’s in our hands is how many times we repeat. You need to be honest with yourself,” Samson was quoted as saying by Sportstar.
“It’s very human to relax, it’s very human to be distracted but it’s important to come back soon. When you’re falling down, you feel you need to grow. The starting point is always accepting that you’re down,” he added.
Samson also credited Rahul Dravid for helping him navigate setbacks during his career, emphasising the importance of strong mentorship.
“It’s important to have good people around you. It might be your friends, parents or mentors. I’ve been lucky to have the greatest mentor a cricketer could dream of. Rahul sir, Sachin sir and now Mahi bhai (MS Dhoni) at Chennai Super Kings. My dad was my mentor growing up,” Samson said further.
What support will the scholarship programme provide?
Beyond conventional academic preparation, the programme will combine structured coaching with personalised mentorship. It will also focus on communication, personality development, critical thinking and leadership skills.
Lead IAS Academy is supported by a panel of former civil servants, including Rishiraj Singh, an IPS officer and former DGP of Kerala; V.V. Lakshmi Narayana, an IPS officer and former Joint Director of the CBI; Anil Swarup, an IAS officer and former Secretary of the Department of School Education; and T.P. Sreenivasan, an IFS officer and former Ambassador.
Samson also reflected on the pressure of performing before supporters in his home state.
“I have stepped out in Trivandrum to bat with the crowds shouting, ‘Sanju, we want 100’.”
He cited the experience as an example of how external expectations can challenge mental composure, a lesson he said is equally relevant for civil services aspirants.
How has mentorship shaped Samson’s approach to growth?
Samson highlighted the role of quality guidance in overcoming difficult phases of a career. He described former India head coach Rahul Dravid as a major influence on how he responded to setbacks and continued developing as a cricketer.
Samson said Dravid’s advice helped him resolve a question that had troubled him for years.
“After so much practice, why am I not able to score – I got the answer to this question from Rahul Dravid for which I am very blessed. If that answer didn’t have his quality, I don’t think it would have aided my growth like it eventually did. When you have doubts or questions, it’s important to have a good mentor or guru around so the answers will lift you up,” he said.
Through the partnership with Lead IAS Academy, Samson aims to extend similar guidance to students from coastal Kerala who aspire to join the civil services.
