Sanju Samson: ‘You’re dating a 15-year-old boy’: Sanju Samson opens up about being dumped by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi | cricket news

Sanju Samson has offered a candid insight into the outside noise and his competition with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s omission from India’s XI against Afghanistan, insisting that competition between players cannot come at the expense of the team’s larger objective.Samson and Abhishek Sharma opened in India’s first two T20Is against Afghanistan, leaving Sooryavanshi on the bench even though the teenager was named Player of the Series in Zimbabwe.While Samson managed just 10 off eight balls in the series opener, he responded emphatically in the second game, smashing 57 off just 22 deliveries as India beat Afghanistan by seven wickets to take an unassailable 2-0 lead.Speaking after the win, Samson emphasized that players must put the team’s interests ahead of individual disappointment when making lineup decisions.“I think they (Sooryavanshi and Abhishek Sharma) are competitors to the outside world, but we are a team and we play for one country. First we want to win the game, and then it comes down to other individuals. We cannot get angry or be in a negative mood, thinking, ‘Yaar, mujhe nahi mila, usko kyun diya’. Those kind of mentalities don’t work here,” Samson told reporters at the post-match press conference.

Samson explains the inclusion of Sooryavanshi

Samson also acknowledged why Sooryavanshi was given a chance after his own struggles in the previous series, pointing out that selection decisions are often dictated by form and the need to win matches.“As I said before, playing for the Indian team and scoring runs is not an easy thing. You are looking at a 15-year-old boy who came after scoring 700-800 runs. I was Player of the Tournament before that. After that, they had such a good performance, and he had to come in a different way,” Samson said.“I didn’t play in two or three games and he was fit. We wanted to win games in that series and it was very understandable from a leadership point of view,” he added.Samson’s comments came after a period in which his place in the T20Is had also come under scrutiny. After being named Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup, he struggled against Ireland in the first two matches and played the first T20I in England before being dropped.Sooryavanshi subsequently had three chances before Samson returned for England’s fifth and final T20I. Samson was then left out of India’s Zimbabwe series where Sooryavanshi made the most of his opportunity by scoring 151 runs in three matches and claiming the Player of the Series award.

‘I’m trying to turn off Wi-Fi’

The India opener also revealed how he tries to avoid being influenced by outside opinions, joking that he tries to tune out the constant discussion surrounding team selection.“I try to turn off the Wi-Fi. But sometimes the Wi-Fi turns on and the comments become visible. Some veteran player says something. So I think it’s very normal.”“Definitely, outside noise affects cricketers in India. But you must be very clear about your mentality, how to prepare and what mentality to play with,” he added.Samson admitted that criticism and debates over selection can still affect players, but said the experience has helped him cope better with pressure.“I think I’ve been mature and experienced enough to know how to handle it. It used to hurt a little bit. I’m not a machine. We’re not robots, so we can say, ‘No, it doesn’t affect me.’ It definitely affects you,” Samson said.“If I paid attention to those things, I wouldn’t be able to bat like that. Before I hit a shot, I would think ten times, ‘Yaar, out ho gaya toh phir Wi-Fi problem ho jayega’. So I say to myself, ‘Koi baat nahi’,” he added.

Samson leads India to series win

Samson’s 57 was his first T20I half-century since the T20 World Cup final, where he was named Player of the Tournament.He scored four sixes and seven fours against Afghanistan, while Abhishek contributed 39 off 19 balls. The pair raced to 88 off just 38 deliveries before India completed the chase at 163/3 in 14.5 overs.Earlier, Nitish Reddy’s 24/3 helped restrict Afghanistan to 159/8. India won by seven wickets for the second consecutive game at the same venue, taking a 2-0 lead with one match remaining.