Senior India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has said he decided even before the 2026 T20 World Cup that he would stop worrying about outside opinions and play cricket on his own terms. He added that he no longer wants to be part of the “rat race” and will continue to trust his own instincts.Samson, who scored three consecutive fifties as India retained the Men’s T20 World Cup title earlier this year, was later left out of the Zimbabwe tour after a dip in form during the Ireland and England series.“I realised that there is a constant rat race in our country, and I decided before the 2026 T20 World Cup that I would not be part of it. I just want to enjoy the game. By God’s grace, I have achieved a lot. I am 31 now, and I have a few years left. So, I have decided to play on my own terms. No one will tell me how to bat or what to do. Sanju will decide for Sanju.”“With all due respect, I will play, enjoy the game, be a good teammate, and support the group, but I will do it my way. After the 2024 World Cup, I didn’t even expect to play in the 2026 World Cup. I wasn’t in the 14 or 15-man squad at one point. So how can I plan for 2028? If I’m there, if the team needs me, and if I’m playing well, things will fall into place. If not, I am deeply grateful. No one can take this achievement away from me,” Samson said on JioStar, as quoted by news agency IANS.Samson also recalled a conversation with former India captain Virat Kohli during a national team camp, saying Kohli advised him to focus on discipline and lifestyle to build a long international career.“We all know how Virat bhai is. He is very clear and very straightforward with everyone. If you need to do something, he will tell you exactly what is required. The way he carries himself in the gym, there is a different fire in that guy and I really love that about him.“We both were working out together in the gym during an Indian team camp and I asked him, ‘Paaji, what should I do? Tell me something too!’ and he told me that lifestyle plays a huge role. If you want to become an international cricketer, you must maintain a different kind of lifestyle.“He shared what works for him on his journey and told me, ‘This food will help your body recover, this won’t. If you maintain this discipline for the next 10 years, you will have a great career ahead.’ I started following it for a year, a year, and a half, but after that, I couldn’t stay on track with that anymore!” he explained.Speaking about India’s T20 World Cup semi-final against England at the Wankhede Stadium, Samson said he ignored discussions about his previous record against England fast bowler Jofra Archer because he believed he had improved as a batter.“When you score runs for the Indian team, you become more responsible, knowing you have to keep scoring. Ahead of the T20 World Cup semi-final against England, our top order wasn’t firing much. A lot of people were coming and telling me, ‘It’s England, Archer is bowling, he got you out 3-4 times previously, this happened, that happened.’“But I was confident. I didn’t say anything out loud. If you talk too much, you come across as arrogant, and that goes against my belief. So, I just gestured quietly, ‘Yeah, we’ll see.’ But I had my plans ready. I knew that this Sanju Samson was not the Sanju Samson from a year ago. After that West Indies knock, I had a lot of self-validation, and I was very sure about myself. There was no room for doubt. I was going to do it for my country, and no one could stop it.”Looking back at the World Cup final against New Zealand, Samson said he felt responsible for carrying India’s batting after becoming the team’s main run-scorer during the tournament.“One thing I have learned is that you can’t control form all the time. Form comes and goes. At that moment in our team setup, I was the one getting runs.“The others at the other end were contributing too, but much of the run-scoring burden was on me. I could feel the responsibility of being the main run-scorer in the World Cup final against New Zealand.“I kept reminding myself, ‘Sanju, you are responsible. You need to keep going. You must stay there till the end and finish the job for your country.’ That thought kept me focused throughout the innings,” he elaborated.
