New Delhi, Oct 13
After smashing a stunning 111 off 47 in a batting masterclass to give India a 3-0 T20I series victory over Bangladesh, India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson lauded the team management for giving him the desired role clarity in advance.
At the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad, Samson smashed 11 fours and eight sixes at a strike-rate of 236.17 to become the first Indian wicketkeeper-batter to hit a hundred in men's T20Is for India.
Samson, who had a lean run before the century in Hyderabad, including bagging two ducks in Sri Lanka, now holds the record for second fastest T20I century by an Indian batter after Rohit Sharma.
"When you are playing for the country and you fail in a couple of games, you know pressure is there. To be honest, pressure was there. I wanted to perform. I wanted to show what I was capable of. The captain (Suryakumar Yadav) and the coach (Gautam Gambhir) kept telling me, 'We know what type of talent you have, and we back you, no matter what'.
"Not only in words but also in action. I was a bit doubtful after a couple of ducks in Sri Lanka if I would get a chance in the next series. But they backed me in this series. The leadership group - Surya, Gautam bhai and (assistant coach) Abhishek Nayar - told me three weeks before this series that I would be opening the innings.
"That gave me time for proper preparation. I went to the RR (Rajasthan Royals) academy and faced lots and lots of new-ball bowlers. So I was coming in this series 10 percent more ready than any other series," said Samson after the game.
Samson’s magnificent performance included scoring 30 runs off five consecutive sixes against leg-spinner Rishad Hossain - the fourth-highest runs scored by an Indian batsman in a T20I over - made for a thrilling spectacle for fans thronging the stadium on a Dusshera holiday.
"I knew what I can do to a spinner, "so I just want to hit maximum runs in that over. And those five sixes happened. I think right after the PowerPlay, I knew I was set. Batting first, you never know what is an exact total on any wicket. This was a very good wicket. So we were just trying to get the maximum runs off all the overs.
"From the last two years, I have been thinking I can hit six sixes in an over. Accordingly, I have been working with my mentor and telling myself that hitting four, five, and six sixes in an over is possible and I should do something like that. So I have been practicing and visualising it and I am very grateful it happened here," he added.
With India set to defend its 2026 T20 World Cup title at home, Samson’s century in Hyderabad places him strongly in the wide pool of contenders for the opening slots. "It can get very tricky - playing for India is not an easy thing. When you have those failures, it's easier to go back and say, okay, I should make some runs for myself in the next game."
"But I like to be myself. And I know what I am as a person, as a character. For me, it's all about people, it's all about my friends, it's all about my team. I like to go out and succeed or fail in my own way. That is what I have stuck to right from the time I started playing this game. It's all about knowing your game, knowing your character. It's all about being true to yourself," concluded Samson.
