 "Sanju Samson is the first Indian player to smash back-to-back centuries in T20Is. Image; AP")
Was there ever a doubt about Sanju Samson’s potential? No. It had more to do with his temperament and whether he could deliver the big runs on the international stage. The 29-year-old Kerala batter made his India debut in 2015, but it has taken him nine long years to finally look like a regular member of the Indian cricket team. With two back-to-back hundreds in T20Is, one against Bangladesh and another against South Africa on Friday , Samson has sealed the opening slot in the Indian T20 team.
The promotion to the opening slot has worked wonders for Samson but equally important has been the support from captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir. Samson made the revelation after he became the first-ever Indian batter to slam centuries in consecutive T20I innings.
SKY’s ‘agla 7 match tera hain’ confidence boosts Samson’s game
The “agla 7 match tera hain” confidence that new India T20 captain SKY showed in Samson has now helped the Men in Blue reap big rewards.
“When I was playing Duleep Trophy, in the second match, Surya was playing for the other team and during the match itself, he told Chetta, ‘agla 7 match tera hai’, (you are going to play next 7 matches), you are going to open the innings in the next 7 games. Whatever happens, I will fully back you,” Samson told JioCinema after the first T20I against South Africa.
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“I got so much clarity after that. For the first time in my career, I got such clarity that I have 7 matches, so I came out with a different determination. I had to do something different. If you get such clarity and confidence from the captain, then it reflects differently on the ground as well. The team management gave me that clarity way ahead that 7 matches (3 vs Bangladesh and 4 vs South Africa) I will be opening. I am not looking too far. Just looking to contribute to the team’s cause,” he explained.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsSamson, who captains Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, also revealed that being constantly on the fringes of the Indian team forced him into questioning his own talent. However, he never allowed doubts to cloud his mind and always trusted his talent.
Samson fights self doubts to make history
“I have faced a lot of failures in my career. I think when you go through that failure, you have a lot of doubts in your mind. People definitely say that social media definitely plays a role,” Samson said in the post-match press conference.
“But you also think a lot about yourself. Sanju, are you not made for the international level? I think you are doing well in IPL. Why are you not doing well internationally? So I have a lot of such thoughts. But after so many years of experience, I know what my ability is.
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“If I spend some time in the wicket, then I have a shot-making ability in spin and pace and I know that I can definitely contribute well to the team. I can win the match. This is also a reality. There are definitely a lot of downs happening but the upside is also really good. So I kept telling myself that,” he said.
The supporting role of Suryakymar, Gambhir, and NCA head VVS Laxman also played a big role in his comeback and Samson is thankful for the calls SKY made to him after he suffered two back-to-back ducks in Sri Lanka in July 2024.
“When you have a supporting captain like Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam bhai and VVS Laxman sir, they all support you during failures. The way they communicate with you in your failures is very important. Everyone knows that if we are going through a negative phase, then the player can get lost there,” Samson said.
“So at that time, I received a lot of phone calls from Gautam bhai and Surya, telling me what to work on. Your spin is a little bit like that. You collect all the spinners in Kerala and practice in rough wickets there. You do this, you do that.
“So if your Indian team’s captain is calling you and telling you how to practice after a duck, then you have confidence that the captain is trusting you. He wants you to do well. So I think all those small, small things plays a huge role, I think, coming back here,” Samson added.
The second India vs South Africa T20 will be played on Sunday at St George’s Park in Gqeberha.