Thiruvananthapuram: Team India’s star wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson, who recently notched up his first T20 century against Bangladesh, is now gearing up to represent Kerala in the second round of the Ranji Trophy. This key encounter will see Kerala face off against Karnataka, with matches commencing from 18th October.
Having played for India in the ODI and T20 formats, Samson has set his sights on breaking into the Test team. He revealed his ambition to become a versatile player for India, excelling across all formats. During a media interaction in Thiruvananthapuram, Samson shared insights from discussions with Team India’s leadership group, who have encouraged him to take red-ball cricket seriously and participate in more Ranji Trophy matches.
“I believe I possess the skills to succeed in red-ball cricket and I don’t want to restrict myself to white-ball formats. My aim is to play Test cricket for India. Before the Duleep Trophy, the leadership group informed me they were considering me for red-ball cricket and advised me to take it seriously and play as many Ranji Trophy matches as possible,” said Samson.
He further added, “This time, my preparation has been good. After the series against Sri Lanka, I trained with Rahul Dravid sir and Zubin Bharucha at the RR Academy, working on my game. Scoring a century in the Duleep Trophy against some of the best bowlers in the country has given me a lot of confidence.”
In the previous Ranji Trophy season, Samson had a disappointing run, scoring only 177 runs at an average of 35.40 in four matches. However, he made a mark in the Duleep Trophy during the Bangladesh Test series, scoring a century off just 94 balls for India D under Shreyas Iyer’s captaincy. It was his first first-class century in nearly five years.