Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson on Tuesday (September 29) turned down comparisons with the legendary MS Dhoni, saying "no one can" and "no one should try" to play like the former India skipper, who is leading Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the ongoing IPL.
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Samson is having a great time in the ongoing IPL in UAE. The Kerala lad hit 32-ball 74 in Royals’ IPL 2020 opener against CSK and followed it up with 42-ball 85 versus Kings XI Punjab (KXIP).
After his brilliance, veteran Congress MP Shashi Tharoor called Samson the next MS Dhoni. But the 25-year-old cricketer doesn’t agree with Tharoor’s remarks.
"I am sure that no one can and no one should try to play like him. It's not at all easy to play like MS Dhoni, so leave that aside. I never think of playing like MS Dhoni. He is a legend of Indian cricket, a legend of the game," Samson said on the eve of his team's match against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
"I only focus on my game, what I can do, how I can do it best, and how I can win matches," he added.
With his batting exploits, Samson has again strengthened his claim for selection in the Indian team.
Asked if he thinks he has done enough to impress the national selectors, Samson replied, "I maybe, I maybe not. The only thing I know is I am in good form, my only dream is to win matches for my team, any team I play. My focus is on the IPL right now."
Samson had recently said that he has a decade of cricket left in him and it is something he realized after an interaction with Indian captain Virat Kohli during a gym session.
"I am very lucky to be a part of Rajasthan Royals and some very good individuals, good human beings around me. I am a deep person and I keep on thinking about my future, also about my life, because everyone will die one day.
"I think I can't play cricket after 10-12 years. When I was in the gym with the Indian team I met Virat bhai, I keep on asking him different things. When he asked me how many years you are going to play and I said 10, he told me that 'then give everything to these 10 years and you can have your favourite food from Kerala after that'. So I became really dedicated to give my best for the next 10-12 years."
While Samson is doing well in the IPL for the past few seasons, he hasn’t been able to replicate the same in the domestic circuit. But the cricketer said he has started to understand his game better.
"I have understood my game, it's more of power hitting. So I have been training on my strengths on my power hitting."
Speaking about adapting to the hot and humid conditions of UAE, Samson said playing most of his cricket in Kerala and Jaipur has helped him.
"I am in a very good space mentally. I have worked closely with our video analyst for four to five months and that really helped me improve."
(With PTI inputs)
