Cricketer Sanju Samson has spoken candidly about his rivalry with Ishan Kishan for a place in the Indian side. Speaking on the CSK Podcast with Abhinav Mukund, the 31-year-old wicketkeeper-batter admitted there was a point where he felt he should make way for the younger left-hander.
Samson said watching Kishan fight his way back into contention after two years out changed how he saw things. “I believed I was working hard day and night. But recently, I realized that Ishan was putting in the same level of effort,” he said. “Once he started scoring runs consistently, I understood that he was targeting my place in the team. I have no hesitation in saying this in front of any camera.”
A turning point in Thiruvananthapuram
The moment that brought it home, Samson said, was watching Kishan score a century in Thiruvananthapuram — his own home ground — after a strong Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy campaign. “I told myself, ‘Sanju, you should leave this spot for him.’ He deserved it more than I did at that stage,” he said, acknowledging his own struggles to convert starts into big scores at the time.
A competitive selection call
The remarks add another dimension to the selection question facing Ajit Agarkar and the BCCI. Samson’s recent form — including being named Player of the Tournament at the T20 World Cup — has made him a frontrunner for the white-ball captaincy, yet the contest for the wicketkeeper-batter slot remains one of the most competitive in the side. His openness about it was a notably honest take on the pressures at the top level.
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