Need to have controlled aggression: Sanju Samson

How to sanitise cricket of sledging is the most hotly-debated topic these days. Jury is out on where the line should be drawn, but the Rajasthan Royal’s wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson feels that a sportsperson must have aggression that is backed by composure. “Balance is a must. Calmness helps you stay in control of yourself and react according to the situation. So I try to strike a balance that helps me stay in the right frame of mind,” Sanju said.

It is no secret that the dashing batsman from Kerala was involved in a bat breaking incident during Ranji Trophy 2016-17 that saw him face disciplinary proceedings by the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA). “That incident was blown out of proportion. It was my bat, so I broke it. I have broken many bats, but that wasn’t a good day for me as things leaked out and people made a meal out of a grain,” he said, adding that the incident taught him to embrace equanimity as earlier he found it a tad difficult to deal with the frustration that resulted from failure to achieve the high standards he sets for himself. Now, his mantra is not to get desperate and enjoy sports.

He’s a MS Dhoni fan and no wonder he took a leaf out of captain cool’s attitude. “I love watching Dhoni play. He’s a perfect mixture of lot of aggression and positivity.”

The right-hand bat is fresh from a tremendous Ranji Trophy season and a brilliant IPL 2017 before that. He stacked 627 runs in seven games and bludgeoned three consecutive centuries. He has been consistent playing for Rajasthan Royals, but his best IPL season was last year when he played for Delhi Daredevils. He fared out to be the best batsman for the team who not only scored big, but also helped team register come-from-behind wins. In IPL 2017, he scored 386 runs at a strike rate of 141.39 from 14 games.

Certainly he is an obvious competitor to the swashbuckler Delhi sensation Rishabh Pant, but dismisses any comparisons. “Neither I indulge in comparisons with anybody nor do I track their performances. Selection in Team India is not in my hands, so I focus on getting better as a batsman and as a ‘keeper,” Sanju signed off.