Sanju Samson has offered a candid take on the outside noise and his competition with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s omission from India’s playing XI against Afghanistan, insisting that competition between players cannot come at the expense of the team’s larger objective.Samson and Abhishek Sharma opened in India’s first two T20Is against Afghanistan, leaving Sooryavanshi on the bench despite the teenager having been named Player of the Series in Zimbabwe.While Samson managed only 10 off eight balls in the series opener, he responded emphatically in the second game, smashing 57 off just 22 deliveries as India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets to take an unassailable 2-0 lead.Speaking after the victory, Samson stressed that players must put the team’s interests ahead of individual disappointment when decisions are made over the playing XI.“I think they (Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma) are competitors for the outside world, but we are a team, and we are playing for a country. We want to win the game first, and then it comes down to the other individuals. We can’t sulk or be in a negative frame of mind, thinking, ‘Yaar, mujhe nahi mila, usko kyun diya.’ Those kinds of mindsets don’t work here,” Samson told reporters in the post-match press conference.
Samson explains Sooryavanshi’s inclusion
Samson also acknowledged why Sooryavanshi was given an opportunity after his own struggles in the previous series, pointing out that selection decisions are often dictated by form and the need to win matches.“As I said before, playing for the Indian team and scoring runs is not an easy thing. You are seeing a 15-year-old boy who has come after scoring 700-800 runs. I was Player of the Tournament before that. After that, they had such a good performance, and he had to come in in some other manner,” said Samson.“I didn’t perform in two to three games, and he was in form. We wanted to win games in that series, and it was very understandable from a leadership point of view,” he added.Samson’s comments came after a period in which his place in the T20I side had also been under scrutiny. After being named Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup, he struggled against Ireland in the first two games and played the first T20I in England before being dropped.Sooryavanshi was subsequently handed three opportunities before Samson returned for England’s fifth and final T20I. Samson was then left out of India’s Zimbabwe series, where Sooryavanshi made the most of his chance by scoring 151 runs in three matches and claiming the Player of the Series award.
‘I try to switch the Wi-Fi off’
The India opener also revealed how he tries to keep external opinions from influencing him, joking that he attempts to disconnect from the constant discussion surrounding team selection.“I try to switch the Wi-Fi off. But sometimes the Wi-Fi gets switched on, and comments become visible. Some senior player says something. So I think it’s very normal.”“Definitely, outside noise does affect cricketers in India. But you need to be very clear about your mindset, how you need to prepare, and the mindset you need to play with,” he added.Samson admitted that criticism and selection debates can still affect players, but said experience has helped him deal with the pressure better.“I think I have been mature enough and experienced enough to know how to handle it. Earlier, it used to hurt a little. I’m not a machine. We are not robots, that we can say, ‘No, it doesn’t affect me.’ Definitely, it affects you,” said Samson.“If I paid attention to those things, I couldn’t bat like this. Before hitting a shot, I would think ten times, ‘Yaar, out ho gaya toh phir Wi-Fi problem ho jayega.’ So instead, I tell myself, ‘Koi baat nahi’,” he added.
Samson leads India to series win
Samson’s 57 was his first T20I half-century since the T20 World Cup final, where he was named Player of the Tournament.He smashed four sixes and seven fours against Afghanistan, while Abhishek contributed 39 off 19 balls. The pair raced to 88 from just 38 deliveries before India completed the chase with 163/3 in 14.5 overs.Earlier, Nitish Reddy’s 3/24 helped restrict Afghanistan to 159/8. India won by seven wickets for the second successive game at the same venue, taking a 2-0 lead with one match remaining.
