NEW DELHI: Sensational Sanju Samson, who on Friday became the first Indian batter to notch up two consecutive T20I tons, said that self-belief and support of the captain Suryakumar Yadav helped him stage a strong comeback.
Since making his T20I debut in 2015, Samson had an inconsistent run at the top level which saw the 29-year-old going in and out of the side. But since the Surya-Gautam Gambhir duo took over, Samson has emerged in a different avatar.
After scoring 150 runs in the Bangladesh T20I series that included a ton in Hyderabad, Samson smacked a dazzling 50-ball 107 against South Africa, powering India to a commanding 61-run victory.
After the game, Samson revealed that role clarity from the team management and Surya’s backing helped him make a remarkable return.
“When I was playing Duleep Trophy, in the second match, Surya was playing for the other team and during the match itself, he told be Chetta, ‘agla 7 match tera hai’, (you are going to play next 7 matches), you are going to open the innings in the next 7 games. Whatever happens, I will fully back you,” Samson told Jio Cinema after the match.
“I got so much clarity after that. For the first time in my career, I got such clarity that I have 7 matches, so I came out with a different determination. I had to do something different. If you get such clarity and confidence from captain, then it reflects differently on the ground as well. The team management gave me that clarity way ahead that 7 matches (3 vs Bangladesh and 4 vs South Africa) I will be opening. I am not looking too far. Just looking to contribute to the team’s cause,” Samson added.
Amid the blitz, Samson fired 7 fours and 10 monstrous sixes which propelled India to 202 for 8 in 20 overs. In the chase, the Proteas folded for 141, handing India a 1-0 lead in the 4-match series.
Samson said that the Durban surface had extra bounce but preparations ahead of the game helped him quite a bit.
“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,” 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”
The second T20I will take place at St George’s Park in Gqeberha on November 10.