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'To Cope With Pressure & Failure' - Sanju Samson Overcame Self-Doubt With Gambhir's Backing

Gautam Gambhir's belief kept Sanju Samson going amid failures (@poserarcher/X.com)Gautam Gambhir's belief kept Sanju Samson going amid failures (@poserarcher/X.com)

Sanju Samson recently reflected on his journey through pressure, self-doubt, and the eventual triumph of scoring his maiden T20I century against Bangladesh. In his post-game comments, the wicket-keeper mentioned the Indian team’s leadership, especially head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav for standing by him, reassuring him of their unwavering support.

Sanju Samson, often rated as a talented bloke due to his superior domestic and IPL success, was never able to translate the same on the international stage. He went in and out of the team due to repeated failures, which only added to the piling pressure.

Sanju Samson opens up on mental struggles during rough patch

The two back-to-back ducks in Sri Lanka was a breaking point for Samson who admitted dealing with self doubt and fear of getting dropped again. However, in the latest chat following his breakout century against Bangladesh, Sanju Samson revealed that head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav reassured him and vowed unconditional backing.

"After a couple of ducks in Sri Lanka, I was a tad doubtful about getting a chance in the next series. But they (coaching staff and captain) backed me and kept on saying, ‘We will back you no matter what’," Samson said.

Not only that, Samson finally learned to cope with the pressure and failures to come out stronger in the third T20I against Bangladesh. 

"I think mentally, you go through a lot as an India cricketer, especially in this format (T20). But I have learnt to cope with the pressure and the failures. I think a lot of credit has to go to the dressing room, the leadership group. The captain and the coach have been backing me."

Reflecting on his performance against Bangladesh, Samson revealed that his focus was on staying at the crease for as long as possible, and his aggressive approach in the powerplay set the tone for his innings. Four consecutive boundaries off Taskin Ahmed in the second over boosted his confidence and played a pivotal role in his explosive knock.

Samson reveals how opening role changed his fortunes

Three weeks leading to the Bangladesh T20I series, Sanju Samson received a text from India’s leadership group, including head coach Gautam Gambhir, captain Suryakumar Yadav, and assistant coach Abhishek Nayar, that he would be opening the innings. He immediately drove to the RR academy and practised religiously with new balls. That transition eventually helped him unleash his full potential in the third game.