‘My Desire Is To Play Test Cricket’: Sanju Samson Wants To Play Red Ball Format For India After Maiden T20I Hundred Against Bangladesh

The 29-year-old player has now joined the Kerala squad for their upcoming Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka in Bengaluru, starting Friday.

After smashing a brilliant T20I century against Bangladesh in Hyderabad, Sanju Samson is now eyeing a place in India’s Test team. Sanju Samson’s ton was the second-fastest century by an Indian batter as he took just 40 balls to attain the three-figure mark. Samson stated that he is now looking to play Test cricket for India. 

The 29-year-old player went on to join his state team Kerala for their upcoming Ranji Trophy match against Karnataka in Bengaluru, starting Friday.

“I believe I have the skill set to succeed in red-ball cricket and I just don’t want to restrict myself to white-ball cricket. My desire is to play Test cricket for India. Before the Duleep Trophy, the leadership group had told me they were considering me for red-ball cricket and asked to take it seriously and play more Ranji Trophy matches,” Samson told reporters.

“My preparation was good this time around. After the series against Sri Lanka, I trained at the RR (Rajasthan Royals) Academy with Rahul Dravid sir and Zubin Bharucha and worked on my game. The century in the Duleep Trophy has given me a lot of confidence as it came against some of the best bowlers in the country,” Samson added.

Recently, Samson took part in the Duleep Trophy as he played for India D in the second and third rounds in Anantapur. The Kerala-based batter ended up getting his 11th First-Class century in only his second appearance. 

Recently, in an exclusive conversation with ZEE News, Jitesh Sharma also lauded Sanju Samson’s batting.

“It was an eye-pleasant experience after I watched Sanju Samson’s batting. He has always been a very good batter and as a team, we knew that he would play such kind of innings one day. I was watching his innings from the dugout and I could not stop cheering and clapping for him. His inning was breathtaking. Everyone enjoyed it. He is an experienced player and I always look to learn from him”, Jitesh said.