At Kingsmead, Samson dished out an exhibition of sublime timing and exquisite shots to hit seven fours and ten sixes in his knock of 107, becoming the first Indian batter and fourth overall to make back-to-back centuries in men\u2019s T20Is.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWhile playing in the Duleep Trophy, Surya came to me and said, \u2018You have the next seven matches. You\u2019ll be opening in these seven matches, and I\u2019ll back you no matter what.\u2019 For the first time in my career, I received such clarity, which gave me confidence. The team management has been clear for the last few matches I\u2019ll be opening.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cSo now, I just want to focus on contributing to my country in any way I can. There\u2019s a lot of hard work and background effort involved. Success comes along with failures and doubts; people ask many questions, and you ask yourself many questions. So, if I\u2019m getting a match like this, I think it\u2019s been worth the wait of these 9-10 years. I\u2019m very happy with what\u2019s happening now,\u201d said Samson to broadcasters JioCinema.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
He also gave an insight into his aggressive approach while batting in T20Is. \u201cI trust my shot-making ability and approach each ball with an attacking mindset, especially in T20Is. With this approach, there is success and failure as well \u2013 there are a lot of questions around me building the innings and consistency.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIn T20Is, I never thought of consistency, if there is a ball to be hit, it\u2019s necessary for me to capitalise on that. In the team, even our captain Surya (Suryakumar Yadav), Gautam Bhai (Gautam Gambhir), and Laxman sir (VVS Laxman) emphasize maximising runs in the first innings.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIf I\u2019m in the 90s, I aim to keep the momentum going rather than slowing down. My approach is to stay aggressive from the first ball to the last, adjusting only if the shot isn\u2019t on.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The last time Samson was in South Africa, he notched up his maiden ODI ton at Paarl last year. He then shared insights into his preparation for the four-match series, including making a switch from playing Duleep Trophy and Ranji Trophy matches. \u201cYes, there\u2019s been some adjustment. With years of experience in India A tours and travelling with the Indian team, I understand South African conditions, where there\u2019s more bounce. My preparation changes accordingly. I practice on different pitches with various balls to replicate conditions and scenarios.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI believe this really gives you an advantage, and I felt that I didn\u2019t take a lot of time to get set because of my preparation. My Ranji Trophy match ended on the 21st, and by the 23rd, I\u2019d already started preparing for T20Is. It does make a difference. This has been a routine for the last 10-15 years. When you do well, everyone gets to know the effort that has been put into it. For us, moving from one match to another, whether it\u2019s Ranji Trophy or an international game, has become second nature and a habit.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n
The last time Samson was in South Africa, he notched up his maiden ODI ton at Paarl last year. He then shared insights into his preparation for the four-match series, including making a switch from playing Duleep Trophy and Ranji Trophy matches. \u201cYes, there\u2019s been some adjustment. With years of experience in India A tours and travelling with the Indian team, I understand South African conditions, where there\u2019s more bounce. My preparation changes accordingly. I practice on different pitches with various balls to replicate conditions and scenarios.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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