Speaking exclusively on JioCinema after India’s 61-run victory over South Africa in the first T20I, India’s Sanju Samson reflected on his journey and the challenges he’s faced: “There’s a lot of hard work and background effort involved. Success comes along with failures and doubts; people ask many questions, and you ask yourself many questions. So, if I’m getting a match like this, I think it’s been worth the wait of these 9-10 years. I’m very happy with what’s happening now.”
On the quick shift from red-ball to white-ball cricket, Samson shared his approach to adapting: “This has been a routine for the last 10-15 years. When you do well, everyone gets to know the effort that has been put into it. For us, moving from one match to another, whether it’s Ranji Trophy or an international game, has become second nature and a habit. If you want to earn a spot in the Indian team and win games, it’s not easy; there’s a lot of hard work and mental effort behind it. I’m fortunate to showcase my talent on an international stage.”
Samson also shared insights into his preparation for South African conditions: “Yes, there’s been some adjustment. With years of experience in India A tours and traveling with the Indian team, I understand South African conditions, where there’s more bounce. My preparation changes accordingly. I practice on different pitches with various balls to replicate conditions and scenarios. I believe this really gives you an advantage, and I felt that I didn’t take a lot of time to get set because of my preparation. My Ranji Trophy match ended on the 21st, and by the 23rd, I’d already started preparing for T20Is. It does make a difference.”
On his mindset in T20Is, Samson emphasized his aggressive approach: “I trust my shot-making ability and approach each ball with an attacking mindset, especially in T20Is. With this approach, there is success and failure as well – there a lot of questions around me building the innings and consistency. In T20Is, I never thought of consistency, if there is a ball to be hit, it’s necessary for me to capitalise on that. In the team, even our captain Surya (Suryakumar Yadav), Gautam Bhai (Gautam Gambhir), and Laxman Sir (VVS Laxman) emphasize maximizing runs in the first innings. If I’m in the 90s, I aim to keep the momentum going rather than slowing down. My approach is to stay aggressive from the first ball to the last, adjusting only if the shot isn’t on.”
He also revealed how recent support from team management has boosted his confidence: “While playing in the Duleep Trophy, Surya came to me and said, ‘You have the next seven matches. You’ll be opening in these seven matches, and I’ll back you no matter what.’ For the first time in my career, I received such clarity, and that gave me confidence. Team management has been clear for the last few matches that I’ll be opening. So now, I just want to focus on contributing to my country in any way I can.”
Catch all the live action from South Africa vs. India 2024 – 2nd T20I on November 10, 2024, Sunday, 7:30 PM onwards, LIVE & Exclusive on JioCinema, Sports18 – 1 SD & HD, and Colors Cineplex SD & HD
