Fresh off a stellar IPL 2024 season, Sanju Samson has spoken out about his selection for the Indian T20 World Cup 2024 squad. During IPL 2024, Samson was a force to be reckoned with, amassing 531 runs in just 15 innings at a blistering strike rate of 153.47. His impressive batting, coupled with his leadership as captain, helped the Rajasthan Royals reach the playoffs, though they ultimately fell short in Qualifier 2. This strong performance earned Samson a well-deserved spot in the national team. The BCCI selection committee, headed by Ajit Agarkar, acknowledged his talent by including him as one of India's wicketkeeper-batsman options alongside Rishabh Pant for the upcoming World Cup.
As India gears up for their opening match against Ireland, Samson has expressed his confidence. The Kerala-born cricketer believes that he arrives at the tournament in his best form ever, both in terms of preparation and experience. This bodes well for the Indian team, as they look to add another T20 World Cup title to their trophy cabinet.
Sanju Samson opens up on his T20 World Cup selection
"This is the most prepared and experienced Sanju Samson can come into a World Cup like this. 10 years of lots and lots of failures, with some successes here and there. Life and cricket have taught me everything I needed to know before we came into this crucial tournament, actually. The IPL itself had covered all my mindspace, there was a lot to do and a lot to think about. Being the captain, had a lot on my mind. But, somewhere in my mind I knew that World Cup selections were around, and it was a huge thing," Samson said in a video posted on BCCI.TV.
"It was a huge thing actually, it was one of the best things that could ever happen in my career and those thoughts kept on playing. I knew that I had a reasonably good season in the IPL where I had chances to get in. But at the same time, I knew how difficult it was going to be. It entirely depended upon what the team wanted, what combination the team management were looking for. The moment I was convinced that 'Yes Sanju I think you are prepared', then life and cricket gave it back to me,' he added.
In a surprising move during India's T20 World Cup warm-up match against Bangladesh, Sanju Samson was given the chance to open the innings alongside skipper Rohit Sharma. Unfortunately, his time at the crease was short-lived, as he was dismissed by Shoriful Islam for just 1 run in the second over.
This turn of events contrasted sharply with the performance of Rishabh Pant, who came in at number 3 and played a blistering knock, scoring a brilliant half-century. Given Samson's early dismissal and Pant's impressive display, it remains to be seen whether the Indian team management will give Samson a chance to play in any of the actual T20 World Cup matches. With the competition heating up, the battle for a spot in the starting XI is sure to be intense.
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