Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], July 27 : Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson opened up on advice he received from batting legend Virat Kohli during a gym session related to fitness, lifestyle and discipline and how he tried to implement it in his life.
Sanju, who was the leading run-getter and 'Player of the Tournament' for India in the ICC T20 World Cup-winning campaign with 321 runs and successive half-centuries from the virtual quarterfinal against West Indies to the final against New Zealand, was speaking on JioStar's 'Believe'.
Speaking during the programme, Sanju appreciated the "fire" Virat carries inside a gym and recalled receiving advice about maintaining a certain diet and lifestyle as an international cricketer. He also revealed that he tried to implement Virat's advice in his lifestyle, but lost track of it really soon.
"We all know how Virat bhai is. He is very clear and very straightforward with everyone. If you need to do something, he will tell you exactly what is required. The way he carries himself in the gym, there is a different fire in that guy and I really love that about him. We both were working out together in the gym during an Indian team camp and I asked him, 'Paaji, what should I do? Tell me something too!," he said.
"He told me that lifestyle plays a huge role. If you want to become an international cricketer, you must maintain a different kind of lifestyle. He shared what works for him on his journey and told me, 'This food will help your body recover, this would not. If you maintain this discipline for the next 10 years, you will have a great career ahead.' I started following it for a year, a year, and a half, but after that, I could not stay on track with that anymore," he added.
Sanju also spoke on his mindset of not wanting to be a part of the "constant rat race" before the T20 World Cup, when he had lost his spot as the top-order/first-choice wicketkeeper-batter to Ishan Kishan ahead of the tournament. The right-hander has decided to play on his own terms and would still feel grateful about his journey even if things do not work out for the 2028 T20 World Cup.
"I realised that there is a constant rat race in our country, and I decided before the 2026 T20 World Cup that I would not be part of it. I just want to enjoy the game. By God's grace, I have achieved a lot. I am 31 now, and I have a few years left. So, I have decided to play on my own terms. No one will tell me how to bat or what to do. Sanju will decide for Sanju," he said.
"With all due respect, I will play, enjoy the game, be a good teammate, and support the group, but I will do it my way. After the 2024 World Cup, I did not even expect to play in the 2026 World Cup. I was not in the 14 or 15-man squad at one point. So how can I plan for 2028? If I'm there, if the team needs me, and if I am playing well, things will fall into place. If not, I am deeply grateful. No one can take this achievement (His T20WC Player of the Tournament award) away from me," he signed off.
In 66 T20Is, Samson has scored 1,432 runs in 58 innings at an average of 27.01 and a strike rate of 155.99, including three centuries and six fifties, with a best score of 111. In 16 ODIs and 14 innings, Samson has scored 510 runs at an average of 56.66 and a strike rate of 99.60, with a century and three fifties, with a best score of 108.