India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson on Saturday opened on getting dropped from the ODI series for the recently-concluded tour of Sri Lanka despite scoring his maiden international hundred in the only series the team played in the format before it.
Samson, who scored a stunning knock of 108 in the series against South Africa in December 2023, following his return to the ODI squad after being disregarded both for Asia Cup and the World Cup that year, was picked for the T20I series against Sri Lanka, as a back-up wicketkeeper for Rishabh Pant. However, the Kerala-based cricketer was snubbed for the ODI series to make way for Pant, alongside KL Rahul, who did not play in the format since his car accident in December 2022.
In a recent interaction with the media, following the conclusion of the Sri Lanka tour, he was asked by a report from Zee: “You scored a century in South Africa but were dropped from the ODI squad. In an ODI World Cup year, you’re playing T20Is, and in a T20 World Cup year, you’re playing ODIs. There’s a lot of buzz on social media about this. What are your thoughts on the selection?”
Samson responded to the query in a level-headed manner, even as former cricketers and experts raised similar questions. The star batter admitted that he doesn’t tend to overthink about selection matters and rather wishes to focus on the controllable.
“When they call me to play, I go and play. If not, it’s okay. I don’t overthink it. The team is doing well, so there’s no issue. I prefer to stay positive and focus on what I can control. I put maximum effort into my practice and hard work, which is improving my game. I want my career to move forward, so I concentrate on improving my game and focusing on what’s within my control,” he said.
