India T20 World Cup winning wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson stated that the current Indian team deliberately places a higher priority on team success than individual achievements, citing this as a crucial strategy implemented by the leadership group in the dressing room.
The Man of the Tournament for India’s championship-winning squad against New Zealand told media in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday that winning games has taken precedence over setting personal records.
“That’s the way everyone is thinking now. It was a conscious decision brought in by our captain and coach in the dressing room. The constant message from our leaders to the group is that the team should come first and individual milestones should come second,” PTI quoted Samson as saying.
The strategy has been frequently reaffirmed among players, he continued.
“That automatically got drilled into each and every one of us in the team and that’s how we started reacting in every game,” he said.
Samson stated that he has always chosen to remain true to himself when playing cricket and that he thinks the most crucial part of the game is helping the team succeed.
“Honestly, I think that’s the true nature. I never wanted to be selfless. I think I’ve always wanted to be myself. So myself brings a lot of different qualities, a lot of strengths and a lot of weaknesses,” he said.
The cricketer claimed that ever since he first represented Kerala in age-group competitions, he has seen cricket as a team sport.
“From the time of Under-13 days playing for Kerala till this moment, I like to look at cricket as a team sport. We play to win. For that victory, whatever you do should be helping the team first,” he said.
As a Keralan cricket player who represents his nation at the top level, Samson also discussed the responsibility he feels, pointing out that many young people closely follow his path.
“A lot of youngsters and people in different careers look at me like their own life. When they see me failing in the Indian team, they feel it’s not possible for a guy from this place to go and achieve there,” he said.
The wicketkeeper-batter claimed that the same idea inspired him to demonstrate that Keralan players could be successful on the biggest stage of cricket.
“I felt that I need to prove something. A guy from Kerala, a guy from Trivandrum, can also go out there and perform on the biggest stage cricket has ever seen,” Samson said.
Samson claimed that many young people in the state have been inspired to dream larger by his recent performances.
Samson cited his 97-run effort against the West Indies as one of his most memorable World Cup innings, adding that the innings occurred at a pivotal point in the competition when India required consecutive victories.
“For me, the 97 was very special. The match against West Indies was the most crucial. While chasing, I tried to build a partnership from one end. Wickets kept falling and the pressure kept building, but we managed it properly and got the winning shot in the end,” he said.
