Sanju Samson, one of the brightest batting talents to have emerged from the country, admits that it was frustrating to always be on tenterhooks with regards to his future as an India player. Despite making
his India debut way back in 2015, Samson has played only 16 ODIs and 53 T20Is thus far. A combination of competition with established players for the similar role of a wicketkeeper-batter and inconsistency heavily hampered his international career.
A promotion in the batting order, though, changed his fortunes for good.
After batting in the middle-order for a major part of his India career, Samson showed what he’s capable of after being asked to open for India in T20Is by hitting three centuries in five innings to all but seal the spot.
However, the return of Shubman Gill into the T20I setup meant he was again pushed down the batting order last year at the Asia Cup. Gill’s subsequent low returns as an opener meant Samson was again handed back the role.
“10 years of lots and lots of failures, few successes here and there, it has always been about understanding what it takes to be a World Cup cricketer for the Indian team and I think how badly do I want it. I like to go out and fail or succeed in my own way,” Samson summarises his journey as an India player in a video shared by BCCI.
“Talking about the 2024 World Cup, I didn’t play a game. Yes, things were a bit up and down, to be very honest. It was not matching the expectations which I set. But I was still very grateful that I made it into the 15. My journey is so special ki yaar pata nahi kab khelne ko milega (you never know when you’ll get the opportunity to play).”
Samson admits he created a bubble around him to deal with the outside noise during the tough phase of his career and kept waiting for an opportunity to succeed.
“I think definitely a lot of ups and downs keep happening according to this format. I think we just have to keep pushing. It’s very hard to not look at the outside noise when you are playing cricket in India and for the national team,” Samson said.
“But I made my bubble, I kept my people around me and I kept focusing on all the little things and I knew that my time would come,” he added.
Samson also admits that the journey from a middle-order batter to an opening batter for India was unexpected.
“With God’s grace, actually it happened and out of nowhere I started opening. I think I came into the World Cup side as No. 3, 4 or 5 and from there an opening slot opened up and I got an opportunity to bat around 10 to 11 innings. So I did something special which brought me into the Indian opening role,” he said.
The stop-start nature of his India career, after all, has a silver lining.
“I was just talking to one of my mentors and I was telling him, after 10 years of international cricket I still feel very special to wear this jersey. That keeps me going, that keeps my inner cells totally charged up. So I think I’m very lucky and fortunate,” Samson said.
