Rajasthan Royals wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson is eagerly waiting to get into the upcoming 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 scheduled to be held in the UAE from 19 September, saying the mega T20 event would not only lift the spirits of the players but the rest of the cricketing world.
Except for England, West Indies, Ireland, and Pakistan, all the cricket playing nations are yet to return to action since the COVID-19 forced lockdown in March 2020. However, the IPL 2020 would offer all of them to enjoy some game time in the UAE while Samson is aiming to give his best in the lucrative IPL 13 as he sees the tournament as selection trials for the Indian team.
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Samson said: “Like every cricketer, I have been eagerly waiting for the IPL to start. I think it would lift the spirits of not just the players but that of entire India and the rest of the cricketing world.”
He wasn’t also overly worried about his low scores earlier this year in the T20Is against Sri Lanka and New Zealand, as the Kerala star is looking forward to continuing winning matches for Rajasthan Royals.
Sanju further added, “In T20 cricket, you have to score quickly; that's what I have been doing at the IPL over the years. You can't waste 10 balls when Virat Kohli is padded up to bat next.”
On the UAE wickets, he noted: “And we have to play so many matches on three grounds, but the wickets would be good enough for batting. In T20 cricket, you could get runs on any surface.”
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Meanwhile, the 25-year-old claimed that he had the hardest training sessions that he ever had during the COVID-19 lockdown while saying he is also grateful to his coaches Biju George, G. Jayakumar, RR Director Zubin Bharucha and former Kerala Ranji captain Raiphi Vincent Gomez for making him able to have a proper practice at home by setting up nets on the terrace at his home for the support.
He added, “For the last 15 weeks, I had regular sessions of batting, running, and gym, and I didn't want the lockdown to affect me. Fortunately, my friend has an academy at Kollam with adequate facilities. And there were also people like Fr. Rebeiro to bowl at me. They have all been very supportive to me.”
Sanju signed off by saying, “I have been thinking a lot about my cricket. I have also been fine-tuning my technique a bit. But I want to continue to bat the way I have always been. If you look closely at my batting, you would see that I have been winning more matches for my teams of late, though there have been more failures too. That is fine with me. What really matters is how you help the team's cause, more than the individual glory.”
(With Sportstar Inputs)
