IND vs SA, 1st T20I: Sanju Samson reveals doubting ability after failures; credits SKY, Gambhir for comeback

Sanju Samson scored back-to-back centuries in T20 Internationals, including a stunning 50-ball 107, to lead India to a comfortable 61-run victory over South Africa in the opening match in Durban on Friday.

Sunita Iyer

First Published Nov 9, 2024, 1:21 PM IST | Last Updated Nov 9, 2024, 1:21 PM IST

India batter Sanju Samson opened up about his early struggles in international cricket, revealing how a series of failures made him question his abilities. However, with renewed self-belief and the backing of the captain and coach, he made a remarkable comeback. Samson scored back-to-back centuries in T20 Internationals, including a stunning 50-ball 107, to lead India to a comfortable 61-run victory over South Africa in the opening match in Durban on Friday.

"I have faced a lot of failures in my career. I think when you go through that failure, you have lot of doubts in your mind. People definitely say that social media definitely plays a role," Samson told reporters in the post-match press conference.

"But you also think a lot about yourself. Sanju, are you not made for 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. 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 added.

Samson, who will turn 30 on Monday, has frequently faced criticism for not living up to his potential, despite his evident talent. After scoring consecutive ducks in Sri Lanka, he bounced back with a brilliant 111 against Bangladesh in the third T20I and followed it up with another century on Friday.

Samson credits support from SKY and Gambhir for comeback

The Kerala batter credited the vital support he received from captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir during his challenging phase.

"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," he 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.

"I'm very grateful about the trust shown on me. I think I've 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 to play for my country and just look to contribute and win games for my country every time I walk in," he further said.

We need to play like World Champions: Samson

His innings featured 10 towering sixes, helping India reach a total of 202/8 in 20 overs.

"When you score 100 for your country, it's definitely a very special feeling. The wicket was a little more bounced, a little spongy in the beginning. It's been raining here for 3-4 days, so I think it was a bit more challenging condition," Samson said.

"So according to that, we are talking to the team and we are preparing accordingly. Even when it rained for 3-4 days, our team came here and practiced. We did batting for 2-3 hours, so it was a little beneficial. We're the World Champions and we need to play like that," he added.

Samson also stated that the team is focused on playing an aggressive brand of cricket, no matter the conditions, in order to uphold their reputation as world champions.

"What we have been talking in the dressing room from so many seasons right after winning the World Cup or even from last 2-3 years is even if you lose the toss and even the conditions are tough, we have to go all in. We can't think that we will have to look for something like 160-170 in these wickets because I think chasing becomes a bit easier. We were just looking to attack even knowing that the condition is slightly helping the bowlers," he said.

"We are definitely the world champions at the moment. So I think we have to play like that and just keep on looking to dominate in this format," he concluded.

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