Sanju Samson Reveals He Came Close To Breaking Gautam Gambhir's Mantra: 'Maza Aa Jayega'

Star India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson recently reflected on head coach Gautam Gambhir's "trophy over personal milestones" mindset, admitting he came close to testing that philosophy during the recently concluded T20 World Cup. From being benched at the start of India's title defense to being crowned 'Player of the Tournament,' Samson experienced a true roller-coaster journey on home soil. The veteran peaked at the perfect moment, delivering a match-winning knock of 97 against the West Indies in a virtual quarterfinal. He followed that up with two identical, clutch innings of 89 in the semifinal against England and the final against New Zealand, respectively.

Speaking to India Today, Samson suggested that the "team-first philosophy" was instilled in the players when Gautam Gambhir first took charge in July 2024, replacing Rahul Dravid. However, the 31-year-old admitted that he came close to breaking that approach before he quickly regathered his thoughts.

"Those were constant conversation points that we wrote down in team meetings since the Sri Lanka series (in 2024) when Gambhir and Suryakumar took over. From that moment, it was clear there was no place for personal milestones. That is how our character got aligned," said Samson.

Samson also admitted that, as an individual, the thought of a personal milestone is something that constantly crosses a player's mind.

"Yes, there is a conscious effort. But when people say that I missed out on three hundreds, I feel I made a much bigger contribution. I won't say I never thought about those hundreds. As a human being, I also thought that 'Ek hundred ho jaye toh mazaa aa jayega. (It would be fun to score one century)' You definitely think about it," he added.

"But then I told myself, 'How did you score so many runs?' So I respected the process and kept playing my shots. The only thought was what the team needed from me at that moment."

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Sanju Samson Gautam Gambhir Cricket