Industry Odisha Bureau, Sept 16: “I am not a robot,” says Sanju Samson, as he addresses outside noise and opening slot competition head on. Sanju Samson has stopped letting outside noise dictate his mindset, even as competition for India’s opening slot intensifies. His blazing 57 off 22 balls against Afghanistan on Tuesday did the talking instead.
Managing The Noise
Samson said he actively tunes out commentary from former players and pundits, though it occasionally gets through. He admitted criticism still affects him emotionally at first.
The wicketkeeper batter said he has grown mature enough to process outside noise without letting it derail his preparation. He stressed that dwelling on external opinions would have stopped him from playing freely. Backing his own game plan, he said, has been central to his recent form.
The Opening Slot Battle
Samson’s position has been under scrutiny since 15 year old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi was drafted in during the England tour after Samson’s lean run. Sooryavanshi’s return of low scores across three matches paved the way for Samson’s comeback in the fifth game. Samson called it a tough, understandable leadership call rather than a personal setback. He credited clear communication from the team management for helping him stay focused through the transition. Drawing on his own captaincy experience, he said hard calls are part of competitive sport.
Team Over Individual Standing
Samson said competition for the top three batting spots is healthy within a results driven setup. He urged against sulking over selection, calling it counterproductive for team culture. On consistency, Samson said his focus stays on process and preparation rather than results. He described this approach as central to playing with a fearless, team first mindset.
