Indian senior batsman Saint Samson said that he has decided even before the T20 World Cup 2026 that he will 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 continues 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-England series.“I realized 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 the grace of God, I have achieved a lot. I am 31 now, and I have a few years. So, I decided to play on my own terms. No one will tell me how to fight or what to do. Sanju will decide for Sanju.”“With all due respect, I have to play, enjoy the game, be a good teammate, and support the group, but I have to do my way. After the 2024 World Cup, I don’t even expect to play in the 2026 World Cup. I wasn’t in the 14 or 15-man team at one point. So how can I plan for the 2024 team, if I have to play 2028? well, things will go in the place If not, I am deeply grateful No one can take away this success, “said Samson to JioStar, quoted by the news agency IANS.Samson also recalled a conversation with the former India captain Virat Kohli during a national team camp, saying that Kohli advised 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 simple with everyone. If you need to do something, he will tell you exactly what is needed. The way he carries himself in the gym, there’s a different fire in that guy and I really like that about him.“We both worked 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 lifestyle.“He shared what works for him in his journey and told me: ‘This food will help your body to recover, this will not. If you maintain this discipline for the next 10 years, you will have a great career ahead of you. I started to follow it for a year, a year and a half, but after that, I could no longer stay on the road with it! he explained.Speaking ahead of India’s T20 World Cup semi-final against England at the Wankhede Stadium, Samson said he has shrugged off discussions about his previous record against the England fast bowler. Jofra Archer because I believe he had improved as a bat.“When you bowl for the Indian team, you become more responsible, knowing that you have to keep scoring. Before the T20 World Cup semi-final against England, our top order was not firing much. A lot of people came and said to me: “It’s England, Archer is bowling, he bowled you 3-4 times earlier, this happened, it 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 made a quiet gesture, “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 of myself. There was no room for doubt. I had to do it for my country, and no one could stop me.“Looking back on the World Cup final against New Zealand, Samson said he felt responsible for carrying India’s batting after becoming the team’s leading scorer during the tournament.“One thing I’ve learned is that you can’t control form all the time. Form comes and goes. At that moment in our team installation, I was the one receiving runs.“Others at the other end contributed too, but most of the weight of the scoring was on me. I took the responsibility of being the main scorer in the World Cup final against New Zealand.“I kept reminding myself, ‘Sanju, you are responsible.’ You need to continue. You have to stay here until the end and finish the job for your country.” That thought kept me focused on the innings,” he said.
