Shot selection is one of the things I need to work on, says Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson has been one of the mainstay players in the Rajasthan Royals dressing room since he made his league debut back in 2013. Since then, the Kerala-born batsman has racked up a total of 2209 runs from 93 IPL matches having impressed in recent years, while also making his India debut in the limited-overs format.

“I was upset that I didn’t make a double hundred,” Samson says. “When you set standards too high, it happens. I scored a century in the first game (at Kalyani) and in three matches, I failed. I got worked up. I got out to a straight ball bowled at 110 kmph at Brabourne. I decided that I am not going to play anymore. I just walked out of the stadium and it was a different level of frustration. If you are not in a good frame of mind, you end up doing things you regret,” Samson said in an interview with Indian Express.

“Shot selection has been one of the things I need to work on. Learning about the conditions has been really important for me during these last two years. If I want to play a shot over cover, I need to know if I can play it on a turner. I’ve improved a lot by watching the game on TV. I’d never invested time to watch cricket on TV earlier. But of late, I have really enjoyed watching the World Cup, and you understand how players are taking decisions on the field.

“After last year’s IPL, I met Dhoni and asked him what he thinks I need to work on. He told me that cricketing sense is important and that comes when you observe a cricket match and watch closely what the captain is doing and how a bowler is trying to get a batsman out. It was fascinating to watch the way Kane Williamson was able to read the pitch and play accordingly. Being able to read match situations in the middle is very important,” Samson concluded.