Team India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson shared a fun cricketing moment with former England footballer and Liverpool legend Michael Owen ahead of India’s upcoming Australia tour. The Men in Blue are set to play three ODIs and five T20Is Down Under, starting October 19. Michael Owen, who represented Premier League clubs like Liverpool, Newcastle United, and Manchester United, was in Mumbai for a Premier League fan engagement and community event.

Sanju Samson was present at the event at the NESCO Centre, where he bowled to Owen during a friendly game of cricket. The retired football legend impressed with his bat, hitting a couple of big shots to the pleasure of the spectators. Speaking about the experience, Owen admitted he could have chosen cricket as a sport if football had not existed.

“Yeah, I've loved the experience. I'm here for a week, so I'm really looking forward to it. I've obviously only been here two days now. So, managed to sample the weather. Very hot today. Trying to play a bit of football and a bit of cricket. Well, very passionate. I knew that before I came. I knew that India, despite India being a huge cricketing nation, they're a huge footballing nation as well,” Owen said in an interview with ANI.

Sanju Samson Opens Up About His Love for Football

Sanju Samson, who is also a big football fan, revealed his admiration for the Premier League and Liverpool in particular. He spoke about growing up playing football with his family and how the sport has always been close to his heart. “Yeah, definitely a very big fan of football and the Premier League. So, I've been watching a lot of football since my young days. And more than watching, I think playing a lot of football with my family, with my brother, with my father. So, yes, football is really close to me. Yeah, a very big Liverpool fan. I really love the way they play. So, yes, supporting them all the way through,” he said.

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Samson, who was part of India’s Asia Cup 2025-winning squad, scored 132 runs in seven innings at an average of 33 and a strike rate of 124.52, including a half-century. Now named as India’s first-choice wicketkeeper-batter for the Australia tour, the 30-year-old will look to make a strong impact. During India’s 2020-21 Australia tour, Samson scored 48 runs in three T20Is. Having played 49 T20Is so far and scored 993 runs with three hundreds and three fifties, Samson will aim to deliver consistent performances this time around.