Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, following his omission from India’s 15-member squad, promising wicketkeeper-batsman said he was looking forward to playing in the World Cup, but now that it is not the case, he is focused on ensuring he leads Rajasthan Royals from the front.
“As the cliché goes, selection is not in a player’s control, so it is very important to stay focused on what you can control and where you are as a player. You need to have that maturity in your thinking,”
the 26-year-old stated.
Samson, who made his comeback to the T20I side back in early 2020 after an India debut in 2015, has featured in 10 T20Is with a record that he will be first to admit that does not do justice to his immense potential: only 117 runs at a strike-rate of 110.37.
But the heold has age on his side, and the next T20 World Cup after the coming one is less than 14 months away. Samson would know that if he can stitch a string of consistent performances with RR in IPL 2021, a return to the T20I side wouldn’t be far off.
However, he is focused on giving his best for the Royals in the UAE leg of the competition. The cricketer said he and his team have relished the unexpected four-month break as it “feels like a new tournament” for them.
“Overall it is good to come in with that mindset regardless of what happened in the first phase,”
added Samson, who is the top-scorer for RR in IPL this year with 277 runs at an average of 46.16 and strike-rate of 145.78.
The Royals, placed sixth in the points table after three wins and four losses from seven matches, will resume their Premier League campaign on Tuesday in Dubai against the Punjab Kings.
