“The Last Three to Four Months Were Mentally Taxing,” Sanju Samson Says After Winning His First ODI Ton in South Africa

Sanju Samson, one of the most talked-about cricket players, silenced his detractors on Thursday in the 3rd ODI in Paarl with a strong century against South Africa. With 108 runs off 114 balls, the Kerala batsman provided the Indians with a tremendous foundation. He and Tilak Varma, who also scored a half-century, stitched together a partnership of 116 runs, which laid the groundwork for India’s series-winning victory in the Rainbow Nation.

Speaking at the post-match news conference after India’s 78-run victory, Sanju said that he had experienced mental challenges over the previous three to four months, but he persevered, worked on himself, and recovered to get his first-ever ODI century away from home.

“The last three or four months have been mentally taxing for me. After the third ODI, Sanju told reporters, “I think I feel really happy and grateful going through all that and coming here doing what I did today.”

Samson was left out of the Indian ODI World Cup squad in favor of players like Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav. Indicating how low on the selectors’ priority list he is, he was also passed over for the Asian Games. But on Thursday, he took matters into his own hands and hit his first century in an ODI to assist India in defeating the Proteas by 296 runs.

Sanju said that he got the practice of recovering from failures from his father, who was also an athlete.

“I have fortunate genetics. Since my father is an athlete as well, I believe that no matter how many obstacles you face, there is always a way to overcome them and go on. Consider how much you can improve and how you can return stronger, Sanju said.

When asked how he managed to remain composed throughout the knock, Samson said, “I’m not sure, really. For me, it comes rather naturally.

“It is critical to make excellent judgments. He said, “I can make some pretty smart judgments when you are calm and conscious of your thoughts, emotions, and physical and mental well-being.

“A series victory is always special.”

Samson expressed his happiness at being a part of the team’s triumph and predicted that the players and management will benefit much from the win.

“Coming here and taking that series after one is undoubtedly very encouraging for the players, management, and coaches who have faith in the players to perform well.

“So, yeah, I think that’s special, and it’s always great to win the series and take the trophy home,” he said in closing.