India's star wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who recently turned heads by cracking the second fastest T20I ton for India, often drawn a lot of flak for his inconsistent performances at the international level. Despite numerous opportunities, he struggled to consistently deliver. Whenever an Indian team was selected, fans would frequently express their disappointment on social media for his exclusion.
When Sanju Samson avoided eye-contact with Gautam Gambhir
While his talent is undeniable, his performances in Indian colors have often fallen short of expectations. Samson has always been aware of the pressure to perform and has consistently aimed to regain the trust of the coaching staff.
Recently, under the guidance of Gautam Gambhir, Samson recalled a period of poor form where he was hesitant to make eye contact with India's head coach Gautam Gambhir, who has long been an admirer of his batting abilities
"A player's relationship with his coach is quite important. When you get the coach's backing, you want to repay the faith with performances. It was my wish to make him happy for all the chances I was being given. So when I was out early in one-odd match, I was trying to avoid eye-contact with him and waiting for my chance. So really happy when I struck a century and Gauti bhai was clapping for me", Samson said on a YouTube channel.
Sanju Samson's performance in the recent India-Bangladesh T20I series was a tale of two halves. In the initial two matches, he struggled to find his rhythm, scoring a mere 29 and 10 runs respectively. However, in the third T20I, he turned the tables with a stunning performance. Samson unleashed a blistering 40-ball century, propelling India to a massive total of 297 runs in Hyderabad.
"There was pressure (to perform in Hyderabad). Definitely thought about what happened in Sri Lanka, what will happen in the future, it's quite normal to speculate", he recounted.
Rajasthan Royals captain emphasised that it's common to feel overwhelmed under pressure. However, with experience, he has learned to manage his thoughts and concentrate solely on the task at hand.
"Sometimes you do get lost in your thoughts even while batting you are under pressure. I have learned to handle pressure with experience and speaking to others. On the other hand, I knew these thoughts are pretty normal. I only focused on what I can do, the controllables and how well I can contribute for the team once set," India's T20 World Cup-winner concluded.
