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'I'll drop you from the team...': How coach Gambhir and captain SKY helped Samson erase doubts after India comeback
Sanju Samson's journey in international cricket has been full of ups and downs. He had been in and out of the team ever since his debut way back in 2015. His next match after his first T20I for India came five years later in 2020. Samson recently touched upon the tough phase of his career during an interview with former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin.
Speaking on Ashwin's YouTube show Kutti Stories with Ash, Samson said it was hard for him to deal with the feelings of not getting regular chances to prove himself on the big stage. However, the Rajasthan Royals captain said he always tried to stay positive and not worry too much about things he couldn't control.
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'Being on and off the team was happening for a long time then honestly, it wasn't easy, Anna. It was not easy to have those kinds of feelings… I had already played some 8-9 years of international cricket, and I'd just played 15 games. I was there, and I was not there. I was there, and I was not there. And I always tried to keep myself in a positive frame of mind I kept assuring myself that it would happen, and different people have different journeys. Your journey is different. Respect that, and be mindful of that, and you will get there whenever you are meant to be,' Samson said.
Samson reveals how Gambhir and SKY helped
However, things changed after the 2024 T20 World Cup when a transition occurred in the Indian team following their historic triumph. Senior players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja retired, and head coach Rahul Dravid stepped down, citing the end of his contract. Gautam Gambhir came in as an all-format coach, and Suryakumar Yadav became the Indian T20 captain.
Samson revealed that he was playing a Duleep Trophy match in Andhra Pradesh when SKY personally gave him a message. Samson said that the Indian captain assured him of a place in the upcoming games and told him he would be opening the batting.
'And suddenly, the change happened after the [T20] World Cup. Gautam bhai came in, and then Surya came in as the Captain. I was playing a Duleep Trophy game in Andhra. Surya was playing for another team on a different ground at the same time. That's where Surya told me, 'Chetta, there is a huge opportunity coming up for you. We have seven games lined up. And I am going to give you all seven games as an opener.' I was like, 'super da…' Seven games! Hearing it from the captain's mouth itself… that felt great,' Samson said.
However, Samson didn't perform well in the first two games against Sri Lanka, where he got out for ducks. But he made a strong comeback in the subsequent matches and scored three centuries, including two against South Africa. Samson revealed the chat he had with Gambhir after getting those ducks.
'And then I played two games in Sri Lanka after that I was out for ducks in both the matches. The memories of being in and out of the team started flooding in, and I thought that was it. I was a bit down in the dressing room, and Gauti bhai saw it. He came upto me, and asked what had happened. I told him that I didn't capitalise on the chance that I got and he was like… 'So? I'll drop you from the team only if you have scored 21 ducks.' He might have just told 21 as an arbitrary number but that confidence from the captain and the coach elevated my feel. It told me that they really trusted me, and they wanted me to do well and that really helped me to do what I did after that.'
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Ever since Gambhir and SKY took charge of the Indian team, Samson has been getting regular opportunities. However, the Kerala-born wicketkeeper-batter is yet to fully live up to his potential. With India set to co-host the 2026 T20 World Cup along with Sri Lanka, Samson will hope to cement his place in the squad.
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