Star Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who has scored a century in his last ODI and T20I match, has expressed his desire to play Test cricket for India. According to the 29-year-old cricketer from Kerala, he has the skill set to succeed in the five-day format of the game, and he has received a message from the leadership group of Team India to take the upcoming Ranji Trophy matches seriously as they are considering him for a place in the red-ball team.
“I believe I have the skill set to succeed in red-ball cricket, and I just don’t want to restrict myself to white-ball cricket. My desire is to play Test cricket for India. Before the Duleep Trophy, the leadership group had told me that they were considering me for red-ball cricket and asked me to take it seriously and play more Ranji Trophy matches,” Samson was quoted as saying by Sportstar on Tuesday.
“My preparation was good this time around. After the series against Sri Lanka, I trained at the RR (Rajasthan Royals) Academy with Rahul Dravid sir and Zubin Bharucha and worked on my game. The century in the Duleep Trophy has given me a lot of confidence as it came against some of the best bowlers in the country,” he added.
Samson played two Duleep Trophy 2024 matches for Shreyas Iyer-led India D in September and then got a chance to feature in all three T20Is against Bangladesh last week. He scored 111 runs from just 47 balls in the third T20I played at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday (October 12).
He thanked Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir for his good show in the shortest format series in front of home fans and said Gambhir has always supported and backed him.
“Surya is a good communicator, and there is clarity in what he wants from the players. He is a good leader, and players trust him. Gautam Bhai has always supported and backed me. When you have someone as a coach who believes in your ability, playing cricket becomes more enjoyable,” said Samson.
“Normally, when you play for India, you are not sure of your role. But this time, I was told three weeks in advance that I would be playing the series against Bangladesh as an opener. I was mentally prepared for the new role,” he added.
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