Sanju Samson says he has reached a point in his career where personal satisfaction matters more than constantly chasing selection. The 31-year-old recently lost his T20I place to teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, and told JioStar he has chosen to play the game his own way rather than change his approach for outside expectations.
Stepping away from the rat race
Samson said he saw a constant rat race in Indian cricket and, before the 2026 T20 World Cup, decided he no longer wanted to take part. He wants to enjoy playing, is grateful for what he has achieved and says nobody else will decide how he bats.
He also declined to plan for the 2028 T20 World Cup. After the 2024 edition he had not expected to play in 2026, because at one stage he was not even in the squad. If the team needs him and he is in form, he believes things will happen naturally; if not, he will remain thankful for what the sport has given him.
From tournament standout to the sidelines
Samson was named Player of the Tournament in India’s victorious 2026 T20 World Cup campaign. A run of low scores against Ireland then cost him ground, and he was left out of the tours of England and Zimbabwe, where Sooryavanshi became India’s preferred opener.
What Kohli told him
Samson also described Virat Kohli’s influence. While training with Kohli at an Indian team camp, he asked what he needed to improve. Kohli told him that lifestyle matters most, and explained how nutrition, recovery and discipline pay off over a long career. Samson followed the routine for around a year to a year and a half before finding the discipline hard to sustain. He also called Kohli’s intensity in the gym a major source of inspiration.
His international future is unclear, but Samson insists his focus is now on enjoying the game rather than on the competition around him.
