Durban, Nov 9 2024-
After scoring a scintillating 107 in the T20I series opener against South Africa in Durban, wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson recalled the time he had big self-doubts about failing to recreate his IPL success at the international level.
Since his T20I debut in 2015, Samson batted at literally every position but didn’t get much success due to a combination of a lack of decent runs at one position and inconsistency in scores. But since being promoted to open the batting, Samson has found his groove via centuries in Hyderabad and now in Durban, which came off 47 balls.
Friday’s game in Durban saw Samson become the first India batter and fourth overall to hit two centuries in a row in men’s T20Is, with his knock laced with seven fours and ten sixes, as the visitors completed an emphatic 61-run win.
“Honestly in my career, I have had more failures than success. When you go through those failures, you start doubting yourself. People obviously say things, social media definitely plays its role, and then you also start thinking about it.”
“It’s like ‘Sanju, are you not made for international level? You are doing well in the IPL, why is it not happening in international (cricket)?’ I did have lots of thoughts, but after so many years of experience, I know my abilities.”
“If I spend some time in the middle, I know I have the shot-making abilities against spin and pace. And I know I can contribute to the team’s success and help them win a match. I kept telling myself, ‘No, it’s not like that. This is also a reality’. There are lots of downs happening, but the upside is also really good’,” said Samson to reporters at Kingsmead.
He also paid gratitude to the support he received from captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir, especially after he had consecutive ducks on tour of Sri Lanka in July. “Communication during the time of failure is also very important. A player can get lost during his negative phase. During that time, I received a lot of phone calls from Gautam bhai and Surya, telling me what to work on.”
“They said, ‘Chetta (brother), your game against spin is looking dicey, so gather the spinners in Kerala and practise on the rough wickets’. If the captain of the Indian team is calling and telling you how to practise after two ducks, then you know that the captain is confident about you and he wants you to do well.”
“All those small things play a huge role in coming back here. I am very grateful for the trust shown in me. I think I have been able to give it back to my team management. I feel that it’s just a start. I would like to just practice hard, train hard, just be very grateful walking out for playing for my country and look to contribute and win games for my country every time I walk in. Rest, we’ll see what happens next.”
Though India were a little short in their batting depth, it didn’t come in the way of them amassing a massive 202 against South Africa. Samson signed off by saying how India stuck to its ultra-aggressive approach despite rain hampering their preparations.
“For the last two to three years, we’ve been discussing in the dressing room that we need to go all in. Even if we lose the toss and conditions are tough, we have to go all in. We can’t aim for something like 160-170 on these pitches because chasing tends to be a bit easier.”
“So, it was all about going all in, and we just looked to attack, even though the conditions slightly favoured the bowlers. The conditions here were a bit different. The wicket had extra bounce; it was more spongy. It’s been raining here for three to four days, so it was more challenging.”
“The wickets were under covers due to rain, and we barely got any regular practice. The practice pitches were also a bit sticky. Considering all these factors, along with losing the toss, I think the opposition also wanted to bowl on this pitch. There was definitely a challenge, but we stuck to our approach.” (Agency)
