'Huge thing': Sanju Samson opens up on T20 World Cup selection

New York, June 3: India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has opened up on his T20 World Cup selection and said it was "huge" and one of the best things to ever happen in his cricket career. Samson, who made his T20I debut in 2015, will play his first T20 World Cup for the country. He is the second wicketkeeper in India's squad along with Rishabh Pant.

Expressing his thoughts on his debut ICC tournament, the Kerala batter said he has matured in the last 10 years and had come prepared for the T20 pinnacle.

"This is the most prepared or experienced Sanju Samson can come into a World Cup. 10 years of lots and lots of failure, few successes here and there. Life and cricket have taught me everything before we came to this crucial tournament," Samson said in a video posted on BCCI's website.

Samson hammered 531 runs in 16 matches while guiding Rajasthan Royals to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 playoffs. He scored five half-centuries and finished the tournament as the fifth-highest run-getter.

"IPL had covered a lot of mind space for me, there was a lot to cover, a lot to do. Being the captain of the side, my mind was always occupied but somewhere at the back of my head it was there -- World Cup selection," he said. "It was a huge thing, one of the best things that could ever happen to my career. Those thoughts kept on playing. I knew that I had a good season in IPL where I do have my chances to get in. But at the same time, I knew how tough it is and it can either be both sides.

"It depends on what the team wants, what the exact combination our team management, and selectors are looking for. So the moment I got convinced that 'Yes, Sanju you're ready'. I think life and cricket gave back to me. So, that's how look at it. It was a great moment," the wicketkeeper added.

Commenting on his batting skills, the 29-year-old said he is a natural stroke-maker with "insane talent".

"I always love to look at things in a more positive manner. I'm blessed to get some insane talent with my batting skills. That's come very naturally to me. I don't do anything specific, or I don't know how actually it comes," Samson said.

He said he is not doing anything different and is following the process after landing in New York, where India are scheduled to play their three league stage matches.

"Right from the moment I landed here, IPL has been completely off and it's a completely different stage. I'm telling myself that, 'Sanju you're somewhere lots and lots dream about. OK, boss, what else do I need to do? I need to do hit the gym session, I need to do my recovery, I need to do the practice session'.

"Mentally, I don't have to motivate myself. Automatically, things were supposed to happen, and it was happening. When you meet Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. You look at them, then you get inspired and motivated. There is no looking back and only looking front. How can Sanju Samson help the Indian team to win more games? It has always been to understand what it takes to be a World Cup cricket for an Indian team and how badly I want it," Samson said.

On the support from the fans, he said, "I'm very grateful for the support which I receive wherever I go. It's a shocking experience, I felt it first when travelled to Trivendrem to play for India and I just walked out to warm up and the whole stadium was chanting my name. It was a very different kind of feeling. The biggest lesson has to be as a human being or cricketer is- change has to be constant. You can't say this is the only way I play. I like to keep on adapting, keep on changing my things."

India will open their T20 World Cup campaign against Ireland on June 5.