To bat alongside Virat Kohli in Super Over was an achievement, admits Sanju Samson

After a brilliant performance in the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 Trophy last season, Samson was included in India’s T20I series against Bangladesh. But he did not get a single game in the three-match home series. The trend was followed during the series against West Indies as well since Rishabh Pant kept gloves in all games. Samson, who made his T20I debut in 2015 against Zimbabwe, finally got a game in the 3rd T20I against Sri Lanka in Pune in January. Samson, on Tuesday, shared that the time he spent with seniors in the dressing room was great despite the fact that hew was put on bench. He stated that he learnt a lot getting to spend time with the likes of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. 

“I looked at the brighter side of things. I got to share the dressing room with legends like Virat bhai and Rohit bhai and there is a lot to learn from them even if we just observe the way they handle themselves on and off the ground. And then to be a part of the world’s best cricket team is not a small thing,” Samson was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.

The Rajasthan Royals batsman was picked for the New Zealand series after a failed innings against Sri Lanka. He opened the innings alongside KL Rahul in the 4th and 5th T20Is but failed both times, giving away his wicket with questionable strokes, scoring only 8 and 2. But in the 4th T20I, which India won after a Super Over battle, Samson was called in to bat with Kohli in the Super Over after Rahul was dismissed. The 25-year-old believes it was a huge achievement being bestowed with such responsibility. 

“The New Zealand tour was one of the best times of my life. Yes, it is true that I could not perform with the bat the way I would have loved to. But I believe the change of style that I have adopted in my batting recently will sometimes lead to failures. I have started to accept that fact and I wait and prepare for my next big successful innings,” he added.

“In fact, I was sent in to bat in the super over again in a tight match (fourth T20I in Wellington), that too with Virat Kohli. So you can make out the trust the Indian team had on me. That moment was a huge achievement in my career.”