Sanju Samson Not Comparing Himself To MS Dhoni Or Thinking About Replacing Him

Young wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson has not had an international career to cherish so far. While he is one of the most prolific run-getters in domestic cricket and a flamboyant stroke player in the IPL, Sanju Samson has failed to make the most of it in his limited chances at the highest level. During a chat with Indian Express, the keeper-batsman has opened up on looking to cement his spot in the Indian team.

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Sanju Samson’s latest game for India came during India’s New Zealand tour held before cricket came to a screeching halt. In the 4th T20I international with the series already in the bag, India gave the nod to Samson at the top, resting Rohit Sharma. The right-handed batsman arrived on the back of plenty of promise; however, squandered the opportunity, perishing for 8. In the fifth game, Samson again departed for a single-figure score.

Those were two out of his four international games so far. Sanju Samson has been utilising the current lockdown period to good effect, trying to finetune his game and keeping himself as fit as possible. The 25-year old declared that he is not concerned about what people think about him as long as he understands where he stands in his career.

“People can talk about anything they want to. I respect that fact, but at the same time, I’m mature enough to understand where I stand as a cricketer or where I stand in my career. I’m trying to have a stepping stone to get into the Indian team,” Samson stated.

He continued by saying that there are umpteen roles to be fulfilled while playing for the Indian team like playing as an opener, a keeper, a number three batsman, and a substitute fielder.

“There are a lot of different roles to be played. I batted as an opener and as No 3, kept wickets and even contributed as a fielder when I played for India,”

While India hasn’t had a smooth ride searching to fill MS Dhoni’s shoes since the 2019 World Cup, Samson is not aiming to replace him and holds the 38-year old in high respect. The Kerala cricketer needs to use his independent status to force his way into the national team.

“I never compare myself or never think about being a replacement for MS Dhoni. It is realistically impossible to compare myself or anyone with him. I need to find my own shoes and get into them,”

“It was hard to believe that a tournament like IPL can get cancelled” : Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson went on to be surprised at the thought of a tournament like IPL being cancelled. Samson is open to playing in the cash-rich league even without fans but admits that the safety of players and all the stakeholders involved must be cared for.

“It was hard to believe that a tournament like IPL can get cancelled. If you ask any cricketer, they would be eager to go out and play any match they can. If IPL happens without fans, I’d be happy to go out and play. I think every cricketer is waiting for it. At the same time, we have to take care of safety of the players and the people involved,” the 25-year old added.

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