IPL 2019 | India is the world’s best team, hard to get into it, claims Sanju Samson

In April 2017, Sanju Samson had become the youngest Indian batsman to score 1000+ runs in the Indian Premier League that led the youngster to make his debut for the national team in 2015 against Zimbabwe. However, Sanson has since failed to make it back into the team ever despite having decent scores on the Indian domestic circuit.

Samson, aged 24, has now reckoned that the Indian cricket team is currently the best side in the world considering the amount of talent awaiting the team bench itself, admitting that getting into the national side is no piece of cake.

"I believe I am in a right direction and a right way. Each and every player has his own path to travel. Some players get lucky to get the chance first hand, the team combination allows it, they perform at the right time and everything happens. There is no point in getting worried that you haven't done justice to your talent.

"If you are smart enough and you see the Indian team, it's the world's best team, it's not so easy to get into the team. If the role in which you want to go is performed by the legend MS Dhoni, you can't expect to replace him. It's about getting more real. I know that I am in the right direction and I know that I have the potential to be there. It's just about the right time and right moment. And it will happen automatically," Samson told Firstpost in a recent interview.

It’s been four years since Samson last stepped on the pitch in Indian colours, but the Kerala-born lad also claimed that the hunger is still very much within him. Sanju also revealed that he gets a lot of this motivation from watching the players play in the Indian team perform at the highest level.

"The hunger is a lot, that's why we practice hours and hours. Without the hunger and motivation, you can't keep practicing in the hot sun throughout the day. There is a lot of hunger inside me and I am sure, if I work in the right way, I will be there.

"I come from a country called India. If you look at the players playing in the Indian jersey, if you even look at a match India plays, you get motivated. People like Virat Kohli scoring hundreds each and every match, MS Dhoni bhai finishing games. Kedar Jadhav did it too against Australia in Hyderabad. If you need motivation you just need to switch on the TV and watch an India game. It's more than enough. There are legends coming up in each and every generation, like Virat Kohli bhai, Ajinkya bhai, Dhoni bhai and a lot of people coming up. So you need to learn what all they are doing in the matches and need to raise your standards to be there," the Kerala wicket-keeper-batsman says.

Rajasthan Royals would be starting their campaign against Kings XI Punjab on March 25.