Sanju Samson answered the questions on his recent batting performances in a blistering way on his way to a record of 82 off 41 balls in the second T20I against the West Indies in Ranchi. The Indian wicketkeeper-batter scored nine fours and four sixes to see India achieve an imposing total of 249/5 in 20 overs in the match.
He did so after a bad run of scores and provided an early reminder of his ability to change the course of a T20 match with his attacking approach to the game, he said.
Samson had to come to Ranchi under pressure after a poor run of four T20I innings which had not resulted in two half-centuries in the recent series against Afghanistan. He scored 9, 7, 2 and 11 but nobody could quite tell him why he was not producing regularly.
But he went into the West Indies match with an attacking mindset and played a powerful innings which gave India an imposing total.
Samson was questioned by the broadcaster during the mid-innings break of the match as he was talking with the broadcaster about what he changed to produce such a commanding performance after his recent struggles to get out of his bad form.
The question was asked by former West Indies cricketer and commentator Daren Ganga, who went down to him to ask him what he had done differently on the commentary team-wide and his last four matches.
Samson, however, said he hadn’t changed anything about his approach. He said professional cricket for India involves preparation, responsibility and will always put the team ahead of yourself.
Sanju Samson takes responsibility for recent failures.
Samson said professional cricketers need to continue to prepare and train properly, even when runs are not necessarily coming. T20 cricket can be unpredictable and a batter cannot always control the outcome of every innings.
“No, I don't think so,” Samson said when asked if he had done anything differently. Players need to finish their preparations, practise regularly and do what they can to perform well, he said.
The wicketkeeper-batter stressed that a tough run of scores should not automatically result in a more cautious approach in the shortest format. “Spending more time at the crease just because of recent failures is not the right thing to do for T20 cricket,” he said.
Samson has said he wants India to get their heads down and work for victory. He also accepted that he has to take responsibility for being at fault when he doesn’t deliver the desired result.
“My job is to give my country a great start, and I try to do that. I also take responsibility when I get out,” he said.
He added he was willing to take the blame for not scoring runs rather than point fingers at others. He said that at times like these, individual accountability was the point of focus and a team-first attitude is important for the team.
A positive mindset behind Samson's explosive knock.
Samson told me his batting philosophy had remained fairly even with his recent performances. The only thing that he was doing was watching the ball and staying positive and trusting his instinct instead of going into a match and making a decision on how to attack a particular delivery.
As a result, “I just try to look at the ball and have a very positive frame of mind,” Samson said.
He said that when the ball is in his area he attacks, regardless of whether the shot goes over cover or long-on. Rather than being so premeditated and pre-planned, he prefers to take the bowler's delivery and respond in a certain manner.
In his Ranchi innings, he displayed how he used timing and power to keep the scoreboard flowing at a fast pace, which was evident in his Ranchi innings. His 82-run contribution gave India much momentum and his team’s position was solid in the first innings.
However, the innings did not produce the desired team result. The West Indies were able to beat the target of 250 with six wickets left and nine balls to spare. For the first time in 2026, one of Samson's half-centuries in a T20I ended in defeat for India.
Samson's place in India's T20I plans
Samson's recent performances have also attracted attention amid competition for places in India's batting array. In the previous year, he was named the Player of the Series for India's T20 World Cup-winning team and is a valuable member of the team in the shortest format.
Young batter Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has also brought about another dimension to the selection debate. The team management tried different combinations with the two players and stuck with the pair that had been successful.
Samson’s challenge was to find consistency and to play the aggressive cricket of T20 internationals as he has been able to so far this year. His innings in Ranchi showed that he was able to rebound from a tough patch although one great performance does not settle questions of long-term consistency.
The knock, however, proved to be good news for the Indian team. Samson showed that he was not only willing to back his natural game but not let a series of low scores dictate his approach.
His message was simple: preparation, confidence and responsibility are much more important than past failures. Samson himself took the blame for his earlier scores and returned to attacking mode. He did in fact perform a good job not only with the bat when India did lose against the opponent but also in the game in general.
Samson’s ability to convert initial starts into consistent contributions will be crucial for India as they go through their T20I campaign. He showed in his Ranchi innings that he has explosive potential and his comments showed that he expects to be successful at the top.
Comments
Leave a Comment