For Sanju Samson, the bigger dream is to play World Cup and win it for India

Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson made his India debut in 2015 when he had played in a T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare but did not get to play in a game again. The dashing cricketer made his way back into the national squad as he was picked for the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh scheduled next month. Samson has been one of the top performers in the Indian Premier League and other domestic tournaments but an opportunity in the national side remained hard to come by.

The selectors could no longer overlook the 24-year-old when he slammed an unbeaten double hundred for his state in the just concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy – his first in List-A cricket. Samson’s 212 not out in just 129 balls put much pressure on the selectors to give him a chance. Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir has also spoken in favor of Samson time and again and advised him to grab his moment after he made the cut.

While it will not be easy for Samson to cement his place in the Indian team which already has loads of talents to pick from, he harbors a bigger dream and that is to play for India in the World Cup and also win it for his country. The next World Cup that the Men in Blue play is in the T20 format in Australia next year.

“The dream is to play and win the World Cup for my country. I don’t know in which year it will happen. But that is my dream,” Samson, who made his India debut under the captaincy of Ajinkya Rahane, said in an interview with the Times of India.

Sanju Samson feels he understands his game better now

When asked how much he has changed as a player between 2015 and now, Samson said he can assess his own game better now.
“I understand my game better now. I can gauge what the opposition is thinking during a game. It has come through the experience of playing a lot of games. Obviously, I am much more relaxed now when I step out onto the field. I have grown as a cricketer as well as an individual now,” Samson, who has 3,000 first-class runs in 53 matches at an average of around 37, said.

Elated over his India return, Samson said he has been working very hard to get into the national team. He also called India the best cricket team in the world. “I am feeling very happy and excited. I have been working very hard to get into the Indian team, which is the best in the world. I am happy to do whatever role the team gives me whether it’s in the top-order or the middle-order,” he said.

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