"I believe in higher purpose": Samson's take on irregular playing opportunities for India

NEW DELHI: Indian batter SanSanju Samson, Indian cricket, national team opportunities, Kerala Cricket League, backup wicketkeeper, IPL, T20 World Cupju Samson has opened up on the perceived lack of opportunities he gets in the national team, saying that he "believes in a higher purpose". S

Samson, recently a member of India's ICC T20 World Cup winning team in West Indies and USA, has mostly been used as a back-up wicketkeeper-batter across both white-ball formats.Samson, recently a member of India's ICC T20 World Cup winning team in West Indies and USA, has mostly been used as a back-up wicketkeeper-batter across both white-ball formats.

He did not get to play even a single match in the tournament. Since his debut in 2014, Samson has just played 16 ODIs for India, scoring 510 runs at an average of 56.66, with a century and three fifties.

In T20Is, he has played 30 matches in which he has scored 444 runs at an average of 19.30, with two half-centuries. Samson has attained a very vocal and loyal fanbase over the years due to his exploits in the Indian Premier League (IPL) who has often voiced out its displeasure over what they perceive as lack of opportunities for Sanju in the national team in the presence of more established players like Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer.

Speaking at a press event on Friday of the Kerala Cricket League, Sanju said that he will just go and play when he gets selected. And he is happy with his team doing well no matter how much he plays and it is the higher purpose he believes in. This helps him in being positive.

"I will just go and play whenever they select it. That's it! End of the day, our team is doing well. I am the kind of person who believes in higher purpose. I just try to take things positively under controllable circumstances and put up the efforts," he said.

Samson last featured for India in the T20I series against Sri Lanka in July, where he scored two ducks. Samson has been named as the tournament icon for the Kerala Cricket League 2024 T20 tournament, the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) announced. The Kerala Cricket League, in its inaugural edition, will be contested between six teams - Kochi Blue Tigers, Trivandrum Royals, Thrissur Titans, Kollam Sailors, Calicut Globstars and Alleppey Ripples.

The tournament is scheduled to take place from September 2 to September 18 at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.

The player auction for the tournament was conducted on Saturday where a total of 168 players registered for the auction, with each team allowed to pick a maximum of 20 players. MS Akhil emerged as the costliest buy at INR 7.4 lakh. He was picked by the Trivandrum Royals.