‘In my negative phase, Gautam bhai and Surya told me what to do’: Samson

India’s Sanju Samson celebrates his century against South Africa in Durban on Friday. Pic/AFP

India batter Sanju Samson reflected on his early struggles in international cricket, saying that a string of failures made him doubt his ability, but self-belief and support of the captain and coach helped him stage a strong comeback.

Samson hit back-to-back centuries in T20Is with a breathtaking 50-ball-107 to headline India's comfortable 61-run win over South Africa in the opening game here on Friday.

"I have faced a lot of failures in my career. I think when you go through that failure, you have lot of doubts in your mind. People definitely say that social media definitely plays a role," Samson told reporters in the post-match press conference.

"But you also think a lot about yourself. Sanju, are you not made for international level? I think you are doing well in IPL. Why are you not doing well internationally? So, I have a lot of such thoughts. But after so many years of experience, I know what my ability is.

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"If I spend some time in the wicket, then I have a shot-making ability in spin and pace and I know that I can definitely contribute well to the team. I can win the match. This is also a reality. There are definitely a lot of downs happening but the upside is also really good. So I kept telling myself that."

Samson, who turns 30 on Monday, has often been criticised for not fulfilling his potential. He had scored successive ducks in Sri Lanka but responded with a 111 against Bangladesh in the third T20I.

The Kerala batter acknowledged the crucial support he received from captain Suryakumar Yadav and coach Gautam Gambhir during his low phase. "When you have a supporting captain like Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam bhai and VVS Laxman sir, they all support you during failures. The way they communicate with you in your failures is very important. Everyone knows that if we are going through a negative phase, then the player can get lost there," he said.

"So at that time, I received a lot of phone calls from Gautam bhai and Surya, telling me what to work on. Your spin is a little bit like that. You collect all the spinners in Kerala and practice in rough wickets there. You do this, you do that," he added.

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