“Love to look at things in positive manner”: Sanju Samson ahead of ICC T20 WC 2024 opener

New York [US], June 4 (ANI): Ahead of their opener against Ireland in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson said that he positively looks at things while reflecting on failures and successes in his career.

Samson, who made his international debut in 2014 in a T20I match, has had ups and downs, having played just 25 T20Is and 16 ODIs for India over the last decade.

His T20 stats have been disappointing as he has scored just 374 runs at an average of 18.70 with one half-century. a strike rate of 133.09 and the best score of 77.

Samson has made his way into the T20 WC squad after a career-best Indian Premier League (IPL) which helped take Rajasthan Royals (RR) to the playoffs. He scored 531 runs at an average of 48.27 and a strike rate of 153.46, with five half-centuries. His best score was 86*.

The Kerala-born cricketer asserted that at the time when a cricketer is young and successful, he tries to skip a few lessons.

“I love to look at things in a more positive manner. If it’s a failure or setback, you learn through it. When you are young and successful, you skip a few lessons. I am blessed with my talent, which comes naturally to me as a batter” Samson said in a video posted by BCCI.

The 29-year-old further stated that right from the moment he arrived in the United States, he had taken out all the things regarding Indian Premier which is in his mind.

“Right from the moment I landed here, IPL has been away from my mind. I tell myself that I am somewhere where people dream of going. Then I was like, what else do I need to do? Mentally I did not have to motivate myself. Things happen automatically. When you meet Rohit and Virat, you get inspired and there is no looking back. How can Sanju help India win more games, what it is like to be a WC player for India? I am very grateful for the support wherever I go,” the wicketkeeper added.

In the end, Samson said that he loves to change and adapt according to the conditions.

“The biggest lesson as a cricketer and human is that the change is constant. You cannot say that this is the only way to play. I love to change and adapt as per conditions. You can’t be the same Sanju Samson,” the right-hand batter concluded.

India will start their T20 World Cup campaign on June 5 against Ireland at the newly constructed Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.

The blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan will take place on June 9. India will later play tournament co-hosts USA (June 12) and Canada (June 15) to wrap up their Group A matches.

In the tournament, India will be aiming to end their ICC trophy drought, having last won the ICC Champions Trophy in 2013. Since then, India has reached the 50-over World Cup final in 2023, semifinal in 2015 and 2019, the title clash of the ICC World Test Championship in 2021 and 2023, T20 WC final in 2014, semifinals in 2016 and 2022 but failed to secure a big ICC trophy.

India squad: Rohit Sharma (C), Hardik Pandya (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohd. SirajReserves: Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, Khaleel Ahmed and Avesh Khan.