After his performance in the second T20 match against Afghanistan in Delhi, Sanjay Samson demonstrated a powerful attack, scoring 57 runs off 22 balls, which was key to India's victory by 7 wickets. After the game, Samson did not limit himself to discussing his own play but spoke openly about criticism, external noise, and Vaibha Suryavanshi's selection.
Samson admitted that the constant discussions and criticism surrounding Indian players affect him. He noted that experience has taught him how to cope with such things, but emphasized that he is human and these factors affect him. He compared it to how Wi-Fi sometimes turns on, showing comments, even though he tries to turn it off.
He also mentioned that some senior players talk about him, and others do not, depending on their personal preferences and current psychological state—some might choose positive words, while others choose negative ones. Nevertheless, he stated that he has become mature and experienced enough to handle these situations, although it is sometimes unpleasant for him.
'I am not a machine. I am not a robot. You are somewhat susceptible to influence. But then you talk to yourself and remind yourself who you are and what you need to do.'
Samson acknowledged that it is not easy for athletes in India to avoid 'Outside Noise'. Among social media, critics, and endless discussions, it is crucial for a player to maintain mental clarity. He stressed that he has to decide for himself how to prepare and how to play. He added that if he had paid attention to these things, he wouldn't have been able to play so well, because before hitting, he would have thought ten times, and if the ball went out of bounds, the same Wi-Fi problem would arise, which was irrelevant.
For Samson, the competition for the starting slot has intensified as 15-year-old Vaibha Suryavanshi strengthened his claim through his performances. Samson mentioned that Vaibha showed impressive form this season, scoring around 700-800 runs, and admitted that giving Vaibha a chance in the team was natural. He noted that managing the Indian team is not an easy task. He reminded that the 15-year-old scored 700-800 runs.
He also reported that Vaibha was demonstrating excellent play even before the tournament, and somehow it was necessary to include him in the squad. Samson admitted that he himself hadn't always played well in two or three matches, whereas Vaibha was in form and came into the series with a desire to win the match. In that case, from the management's perspective, giving Vaibha a chance was a sensible decision.
Regarding the decision to give Vaibha a chance, Samson expressed no complaints; instead, he spoke about the need to understand the position of the team management. He shared his experience, noting that as a captain, he himself made many difficult decisions, so he understands how challenging it is. In Samson's opinion, communication is the most important thing in such circumstances. He mentioned that during the series, there was much discussion among team members about this issue, and even before the series, head coach Gautam Gambhir talked to him a lot.
Samson also highly praised the group leaders of the team. According to him, making popular decisions is easy for management, but making difficult decisions in the interest of the team is much harder. He stated: 'Making difficult decisions is not easy. Making very popular decisions is easy.' However, he believes that as a group of leaders, they make truly difficult decisions, putting the team first. Samson added that the management should be thanked for these decisions.
Thus, Sanjay, who brilliantly returned to the game in the second T20, made it clear after the match: for him, the welfare of the team is more important than other players vying for a spot in the squad. Praising Vaibha, he also hinted that mutual discussions and belief in the team's goals are necessary to understand difficult selection decisions.
