‘If I Fail, I’ll Face A Lot Of Outside Noise Again’: Samson

Samson on the Noise, the Risk and the Fearless Mindset After 57 off 22

Rahul Samson pulled the plug on criticism with a quick-fire 57 off just 22 balls in the 2nd T20I against Afghanistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium tdy, helping India wrap up the 3-match series with a 20-run lead. But it was his honesty in the presser that said more than the strike rate.

On facing the noise

Samson was blunt about the reality of wearing the India shirt: "Being an Indian cricketer, it's not easy to face failures." His strategy is to shut out the noise and keep attacking. "I know if I fail again, I'll be facing a lot of noise again—but that's the way we are built here in Indian cricket. I just go out there and try to score maximum."

On the aggressive approach

The 31-yr-old backed India's high-intensity template that's served them as world champions. "We are following the same approach from the last two-three years. Just watch the ball, try to get the most out of the powerplay. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't." He admitted result-based consistency is unrealistic when you're expected to strike at 200: "You can't think about scoring your own runs then. That fearless mindset? That's what it's called."

On the battle for the top three

On the competition within the squad, Samson stressed unity over rivalry: "Outworld we're competitors, but we're a team playing for a country. Whoever plays, we want them to do well. You can't sulk—'mujhe nahi mila, usko kyu diya?' That mindset doesn't work here." He also praised the leadership group for taking tough, team-first selection calls.

On staying human

Perhaps the most relatable moment. When asked if the criticism affects him: "I try to turn off my WiFi! But sometimes it gets switched on and I end up reading comments." He was honest: "I'm not a robot. It affects you. But then you remind yourself who you are." And why he still plays freely? "Before hitting a shot, if I thought 'if I get out, it becomes a WiFi problem,' I couldn't bat this way. So I just said—it's fine."

Net effect: a rapid-fire innings, plus one of the most grounded takes on pressure I've heard from an Indian batter lately.

What do you all think—can this aggressive top-order approach be sustained long-term, or is the noise a genuine risk for consistency? 🏏

Source: IANS

Source: Cricketnmore