Sanju Samson's Rollercoaster Journey: Ashwin Highlights Mental Struggles
Sanju Samson's International Career Challenges
New Delhi, September 15: Sanju Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament at the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, has garnered attention for his impressive performances. However, his international career has been characterized by frequent fluctuations in his selection for the Indian team.
Despite showcasing his talent on significant platforms, Samson has often found himself in and out of the squad, leading to doubts about his standing and the consistency of the chances he receives.
Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has voiced his support for the wicketkeeper-batter, acknowledging that Samson's journey has been mentally taxing.
Ashwin noted that after Samson's stellar performances in the World Cup and a successful outing in Ireland, he was unexpectedly dropped following a single poor performance in England.
Such experiences, according to Ashwin, could leave Samson questioning the trust and understanding of his position within the team. With his international career beginning in 2014, Ashwin emphasized the mental hurdles Samson may have encountered throughout his challenging journey.
“If you were in Samson's shoes, wouldn’t you feel frustrated after excelling in the World Cup and then in Ireland, only to be dropped after one failure in England? He must be grappling with significant mental challenges and wondering why his role isn’t recognized. His path has been far from easy since 2014,” Ashwin remarked.
After struggling in three consecutive T20I matches, Samson was replaced by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for the second T20I against England in July.
Although the experienced wicketkeeper-batter returned for the series finale, he was later omitted from the squad for the T20I series in Zimbabwe. Samson made his way back into the playing XI for the first T20I against Afghanistan but could only score 10 runs off eight balls.
Ashwin expressed that Samson is under constant scrutiny, with his performances often evaluated inconsistently. He pointed out that when Samson succeeds, people claim they have always supported him, but when he falters, they quickly label him as inconsistent, adding more pressure.
Ashwin believes that comparisons with Sooryavanshi may further complicate Samson's situation, raising concerns about the mental strain he must be enduring.
“When he performs well, people act as if they always believed in him. However, when he fails, they label him as inconsistent, which adds to the pressure. It’s uncertain whether the criticism is directed at Samson’s performance or at Sooryavanshi being sidelined due to his play. One can only imagine the weight on Sanju Samson’s shoulders,” Ashwin concluded.