Sanju Samson has decided not to put himself under unnecessary pressure and instead play cricket at his own terms. The wicketkeeper-batter made up his mind to not be part of a "rat race" and was determined to back his instincts before the T20 World Cup got underway earlier this year.
The approach helped the 31-year-old as he struck three consecutive half-centuries towards the end of the T20 World Cup and was the Player of the Tournament in India's victorious campaign.
Despite being successful in the tournament, a series of poor scores against Ireland and England saw him lose his spot from India's T20 squad for the series against Zimbabwe.
However the Chennai Super Kings player is not allowing his exclusion to weigh him down.
"I realised 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," he told JioHotStar.
"By God's grace, I have achieved a lot. I am 31 now, and I have a few years left. So, I have decided to play on my own terms. No one will tell me how to bat or what to do. Sanju will decide for Sanju."
"With all due respect, I will play, enjoy the game, be a good teammate, and support the group, but I will do it my way. After the 2024 World Cup, I didn't even expect to play in the 2026 World Cup. I wasn't in the 14 or 15-man squad at one point," he added.
"So how can I plan for 2028? If I'm there, if the team needs me, and if I'm playing well, things will fall into place. If not, I am deeply grateful. No one can take this achievement away from me."
He also gave insights into how he prepared for the T20 World Cup semi-final against England and the final against New Zealand.
"Ahead of the T20 World Cup semi-final against England, our top order wasn't firing much. A lot of people were coming and telling me, 'It's England, Archer is bowling, he got you out 3-4 times previously, this happened, that happened,'" Samson said.
"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 just gestured quietly, '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 about myself. There was no room for doubt. I was going to do it for my country, and no one could stop it," he said.
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On facing New Zealand in the final, Samson highlighted how he embraced the burden of being the team's primary run-getter in crucial moments. "One thing I have learned is that you can't control form all the time. Form comes and goes. At that moment in our team setup, I was the one getting runs.
"The others at the other end were contributing too, but much of the run-scoring burden was on me. I could feel the responsibility of being the main run-scorer in the World Cup final against New Zealand.
"I kept reminding myself, 'Sanju, you are responsible. You need to keep going. You must stay there till the end and finish the job for your country.' That thought kept me focused throughout the innings," he elaborated.
In the interaction, Samson also recalled his conversation with former India captain Virat Kohli during a national camp and how it helped him.
"We all know how Virat bhai is. He is very clear and very straightforward with everyone. If you need to do something, he will tell you exactly what is required. The way he carries himself in the gym, there is a different fire in that guy and I really love that about him," Samson added.
"We both were working out 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 kind of lifestyle."
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