“It has changed my perspective towards cricket”: Sanju Samson credits IPL captaincy stint for evolving as a cricketer

Sanju Samson credits IPL captaincy stint: The Indian wicket-keeper batter believes he has benefited from the Indian Premier League.

India wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson believes in looking for positives in all life and career situations. Samson, 27, was referring to playing only 22 international matches across formats despite debuting seven years ago.

While playing even one match for India is a dream for thousands of cricketers around the country, 16 T20Is and six ODIs are considered less for Samson primarily due to his sheer talent.

Often criticized for not doing justice to his potential across formats, Samson had scored a match-winning 43* (39) including playing the winning shot in a 162-run chase in the second ODI against Zimbabwe on Saturday.

The first time’s always special. 🏆🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/C4Xw9ETKn6

— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) August 20, 2022

“I am a believer that whatever you go through in your career, you have to take it in a positive manner. I really enjoyed playing domestic cricket in the last four-five years. It is challenging to do well there and that has made me be a better player,” Samson told the host broadcaster before the start of the third ODI in Harare.

Sanju Samson credits IPL captaincy stint for evolving as a cricketer

A regular face in the Indian Premier League, Samson has credited not just playing but leading in the biggest T20 tournament around the world as a reason behind his evolution as a cricketer.

“It has changed my perspective towards cricket. Earlier, I used to think only about my batting, my game. Captaincy helps bring about a different mindset – think about others as well apart from your game,” Samson added.

Been leading Rajasthan Royals for a couple of seasons now, Samson had powered them to the final of IPL 2022 but couldn’t get past champions Gujarat Titans in the last match.

Samson, who enjoys a loyal fan-base across social media platforms, enjoys an equally solid fan-following from the stands as well. Expressing surprise at the same for someone who hasn’t played a lot of international cricket, Samson acknowledged his fellow Malayalis for supporting him.

“I feel surprised that despite playing very little for India, I get good support. I feel there are a lot more Malayalis as I hear cheers of ‘Chetta, Chetta’ which makes me feel proud. I am really proud to be a Malayali and represent my country as a Malayali cricketer,” Samson concluded.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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