India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has emphasized how important it is to trust his process and remain focused on his game, despite the criticism and opinions that come with playing for the national team.
He made these comments after India chased down a 226-run target, scoring 230/6 with two balls to spare, recording their highest-ever successful run chase in T20I cricket, and defeating New Zealand by four wickets in the opening match of the five-T20I series.
Glenn Phillips’ 82* and Finn Allen’s 45 led New Zealand to 225/4 in 20 overs. In response, Sanju Samson made 67 to lead India’s chase, while Shreyas Iyer (42) and Naman Dhir (42* off 15 balls) made sure the Men in Blue won the game.
According to Samson, he doesn't perform to appease detractors. Rather, he keeps things straightforward, concentrates on his preparation, and refrains from letting social media reactions influence his perspective.
“To be very honest, you can’t focus on what people on social media or others are saying. You have to stay committed to the process and create the right environment for yourself. Playing for Indian cricket is not easy, with so much noise and so many people having their own opinions. But I don’t play this game with the mindset of proving anyone wrong.
I keep my cricket at the forefront, trust my process, respect my practice, and focus on doing the best I can. I like to keep things simple and stay focused on what I can control, rather than letting outside opinions influence my mindset,” Samson told reporters after the match.
Samson attributed India's aggressive approach in the powerplay, middle overs, and final overs as key to the team completing the record chase. He stated that the team has kept supporting this brand of cricket ever since winning the 2024 T20 World Cup.
“We approach the powerplay, middle overs, and death overs very differently. Even when chasing 170, if we get off to a flying start, we make sure we try to finish the game in the powerplay itself. That’s something we’ve been doing really well over the last couple of years,” Samson said.
India and New Zealand will clash in the second T20I of the series in Christchurch on October 24.
(ANI inputs)
