I don’t play to prove people wrong: Samson on social media after T20I heroics

Results in brief: India (230/6 in 19.4 overs) beat New Zealand (225/4 in 20 overs) by 4 wickets to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

India wicketkeeper-spinner Sanju Samson insisted he is not playing cricket to prove his critics wrong after his explosive knock helped India pull off their most successful run in T20 cricket against New Zealand in Christchurch on Thursday. He said he remains focused on following the process and not letting outside noise affect his game.

Samson smashed 67 off 33 balls as India chased down a target of 226 to secure a four-wicket win in the first T20I at Hagley Oval. India reached 227 in 19.4 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, with Samson setting the tone alongside Abhishek Sharma at the top of the order.

In the post-match press conference, Samson acknowledged the scrutiny that comes with playing for India, but said he had no intention of letting social media comments dictate his approach.

“I don’t know what people on the outside are talking about. To be honest, you can’t think about what social media is saying or what other people are saying. You just have to be in the process, be in a very different environment,” he said.

“Playing for Indian cricket is not easy. There is a lot of noise. Many people have their own comments. But I don’t play this game with the intention of proving people wrong.”

Samson was named man of the match and hit eight fours and four sixes in his innings. He added 93 runs with Abhishek making 29 off 12 balls in just 5.5 overs to give India the early momentum they needed in a tough chase.

SAMSON EXPLAINS INDIA’S AGGRESSIVE APPROACH

Samson said India’s batting strategy is built around capitalizing on strong starts, with the team looking to put the opposition under pressure during the powerplay rather than allowing the chase to drift into the middle overs.

When asked if India would approach the innings differently when chasing a smaller target, he explained that the plan depends more on the stage of the game and the start the batsmen have made than the total itself.

“I don’t think we play a little bit different, but I think it’s different phases of the game where you have different approaches,” Samson said.

“When you’ve had a really good start in the overs, we actually phrase it completely differently. The overs are different, the middle overs are different and the death overs phase is different.”

“So even if you’re chasing 170 and if you’ve got a flyer, we make sure we kill the game in the powerplay itself. That’s what we’ve been good at over the last few years.”

The editorial admitted that this approach will not work in every match, but said that India will continue to trust their methods and put the team’s interests first.

“That’s what we’ve come up with and we’re trying to do it every game. Sometimes it works out, sometimes it doesn’t, but we have to keep believing in ourselves and keep the team ahead,” he added.

“TRAVEL BUSINESS CLASS, STAY IN GREAT HOTELS”

India’s busy schedule leaves little time for recovery between assignments, but Samson said he would rather play regularly than sit out games. He also praised the team’s preparation and conditioning work for helping the players cope with the demands of international cricket.

India traveled to New Zealand soon after completing their five-match T20I series against the West Indies, the last match of which was played in Bengaluru just five days before the Christchurch match. The team also returned from Japan after winning the Asian Games before taking on the West Indies at home.

“We’ve been playing a lot of games the last few months, but to be honest, I feel very lucky that we’re playing games. I’d rather be playing games than not playing games,” Samson said.

He revealed that the meeting after the England series in June and July underlined the need for the players to keep fit with a tough schedule ahead.

“We had a very strong meeting after the England series where I think things were communicated very correctly that we have a very tight schedule so make sure you do your fitness routines nicely,” he said.

“The team put in a really good job and we’re definitely in great shape physically and mentally as well. We travel in business class, we stay in really big hotels, so we can’t complain.”

Despite the short turnaround, Samson said the players made a conscious effort to be ready for the opener. He pointed to the work done during Wednesday’s practice as evidence of the team’s determination to get the series off to a good start.

“Not only me, yesterday I saw every player putting in that extra effort, knowing that there is only one day to prepare, but before we go to play that game, we will make sure that everything is 100 percent,” he added.

WC’s T20 PERFORMANCE INCREASED CONFIDENCE

Samson also talked about the impact of his performances in the business end of the T20 World Cup said earlier this year that contributing to India’s important wins had boosted his belief in his own game.

“When you’re playing for your country and you’re winning key matches, your mindset changes a bit,” he said.

“I was very lucky to get it a few months ago. It’s very important to have that confidence every time you go out to bat for your country, so it’s definitely on my mind.”

India will be looking to build on their win in the opening match when they take on New Zealand in the second T20I at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on October 24.

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