New Delhi, March 14 Indian opener Sanju Samson said his desire to meet the team's needs helped him overcome the initial apprehension of competing with his own teammates for a spot in the eleven during the recent T20 World Cup, and deliver a series of match-winning performances.
Samson scored 97 against the West Indies in the must-win Super Eights, and then followed up with an identical 89 against England in the semi-final and New Zealand in the final at Ahmedabad.
This marked a remarkable turnaround for the Kerala batter, who had been dropped from India's starting eleven in the initial phase of the ICC tournament after a lackluster bilateral home T20I series against New Zealand.
"I am the kind of person who does better for others than for myself. In that series (against NZ), I was competing with my own people (for a place in the team) and I was not very comfortable with it," Sanju said during the India Today Conclave.
Samson admitted that failing to secure a spot in the eleven left him feeling disheartened.
"I was so desperate, knowing that my dream was so close. But was the team still experimenting with different combinations? So, is Sanju in or out? That kind of feeling played in my mind at that time.
"I was absolutely down because my dream was to win the World Cup, and I wasn't even in the XI. So, I actually took a break for 5-6 days and started rebuilding myself. I started preparing myself, knowing that you never know what the game will give back to you," he said.
The much-awaited opportunity came Sanju's way during India's Super Eight match against Zimbabwe in Chennai.
The 31-year-old did not score many runs, but received assurance from the team management that he would be in the eleven in the next four matches.
This was partly because the think tank wanted to break the left-hander's dominance at the top to neutralize the impact of rival off-spinners.
"I knew the team management had trust in me. When the World Cup came, I figured out that the team wants me, and that was the mindset change that happened in my head.
"So, right from the Zimbabwe game, we had to win four out of four matches, and the team needed me. That's when it became very positive for me, and I was very motivated," he said.
Fellow opener Abhishek Sharma was slightly disappointed that he could not produce the kind of knocks expected of him during the World Cup, partly due to a stomach bug.
However, the left-hander scored a crucial fifty in the title clash against the Kiwis, and was delighted to have made a contribution.
"From the day I started playing cricket, the first goal was to play for the country, and then, once you play for the country, the ultimate goal is to win ICC trophies for your country.
"It wasn't the start I wanted, but I was still happy because the team was doing well, and we were still winning the game," Sanju said.
"Obviously, I had a dream that one day I would become a world champion, and it's not just about one trophy, it's about how many trophies I can win for my country, and that's what I play for," he added.
Abhishek said he enjoyed his partnership with Sanju at the top.
"Sanju bhai has always been a very sorted guy. He's a very loving and caring guy. You know, when you have players like Sanju in your team, you feel that you have someone behind you. That's always been Sanju Samson for us," he said.
On his part, Sanju explained what makes the partnership with Abhishek work.
"I actually have that kind of combination going right from the 2024 World Cup, as we both have done this many times before. So, we have a kind of Punjabi friendship going on in the middle.
"So, we keep it very simple. I really love batting with Abhishek 'Lala', and I really admire his character. He's a very brave and open-hearted kid, and I really love his partnership on and off the field," he added.