Samson: 'If I was affected by the noise, I wouldn’t be able to play the way I do' after 57 against Afghanistan
Sanju Samson struck 57 off 22 balls while chasing 160 and told reporters that outside noise does not influence his batting after India’s second T20 against Afghanistan at Arun Jaitley Stadium on September 15, 2026. He said he tries to shut out distractions and that if he were affected he would not be able to play the way he does.
The past few months encapsulate the highs and lows of Samson’s international career: he won the Player-of-the-Tournament award at this year’s T20 World Cup with 321 runs in five innings, but three months later produced scores of 5, 0 and 1 during the tour of the United Kingdom. Those returns led to him being replaced by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, though Samson returned for the fifth and final T20I against England and was subsequently omitted for the tour of Zimbabwe.
At Arun Jaitley Stadium on Tuesday, the 31-year-old from Kerala produced a rapid 57 off 22 deliveries while facing Afghanistan in a chase of 160. The innings followed a spell of inconsistent form on the recent England and Ireland matches and represented a strong personal response in the immediate series against Afghanistan.
Speaking to reporters after the match, Samson reflected on handling setbacks: “After a few failures, you definitely go through a lot as an Indian cricketer. It is not easy to face failures. But that is where my experience comes in. I try to shut out the noise and still try to keep scoring at a high strike rate.”
On coping with social media and public commentary, Samson said: “I try to switch off the wi-fi,” he chuckled. “But sometimes the wi-fi switches on and the comments of some former players crop up. It is their choice to say what they want to say. I have become mature and experienced enough to handle that. It does affect you. We are not robots. But I try to be clear. If I was affected by the noise, I wouldn’t be able to play the way I do. Before every attacking shot, I would be thinking 10 times.”
Samson spoke without evident resentment about his recent selection issues and framed his approach in terms of experience and concentration rather than public reaction. His comments came after a period that included both a tournament award and demotion from the playing XI on a subsequent tour.
Despite his 57 off 22 on September 15, Samson had already been left out of the squad for the subsequent tour of Zimbabwe, a selection decision noted during the same period of commentary on his form and approach.
