‘When your mind is clouded with a lot of thoughts, it gets tough’: Ashwin pinpoints mental pressure behind Sanju Samson’s lean run
Ashwin observed that Samson is playing under a lot of pressure with a clouded mind, which is causing him to struggle with picking the right line and length.
India's Sanju Samson bowled out by New Zealand's Matt Henry during the third T20 cricket match between India and New Zealand in Guwahati, India, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
India wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson has struggled with the bat in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand. His early dismissals to fast bowlers in the first three games, followed by his dismissal to a spinner after getting set, are concerning for India as they prepare to defend the T20 World Cup title at home. Samson produced paltry scores of 10, 6, 0, and 24, accumulating just 40 runs in four innings against New Zealand.
Former India cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin has observed that Samson is playing under a lot of pressure with a clouded mind, which is causing him to struggle with picking the right line and length.
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“If you are not a good player, you cannot reach here. When your mind is clouded with a lot of thoughts, it gets tough to pick the lengths and lines. I am very certain things are going on in his mind,” he said on his YouTube channel.
“We cannot make a slot for a player. It is not about running with a player and banking on it. It is also important to tell the player to take a break. Sometimes sitting outside and reflecting can make you a better player. I don’t agree that he should go back to the middle order. You cannot make a slot for a player; then everybody else will also rotate around it.”
India won the first three T20Is in one-sided fashion before losing the fourth game by 50 runs following a collective failure from the batting unit.
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Continuing on Samson, Ashwin said: “They are bowling on the middle and leg to Sanju because he does not have a back-and-across movement. It is really getting to a point that it is pushing players. He has been pushed to a place where he has to show the bowlers something else. He is trying to do something because he is uncomfortable with the plan being dealt out to him. He has been pushed into a corner but is willing to try. He is trying to respond. Maybe you will not get the result immediately. This might take time, but he is at least thinking about how to put pressure on the bowlers. That is a good sign. But he is walking a fine line, and there is pressure with Ishan sitting in the dugout.”
India's Sanju Samson bowled out by New Zealand's Matt Henry during the third T20 cricket match between India and New Zealand in Guwahati, India, Sunday, Jan. 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath) 
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