Asian Games: We are very, very fortunate to have someone like Kohli, says Samson

Nisshin, Sep 30 (IANS) Describing former captain Virat Kohli as a constant source of motivation for players across generations, India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson said the national team considers itself ‘very, very fortunate’ to have someone of his stature leading by example both on and off the field.

Samson’s words come after Kohli hit an unbeaten 139 in the Thiruvananthapuram ODI against the West Indies, which India won by eight wickets. During the course of the knock, Kohli also surpassed the 15,000 runs mark in ODIs, and became just the second batter after Sachin Tendulkar to achieve this feat.

“What to say? I think we are very, very fortunate to have someone like him. I think whenever he scores, runs, practices or, turns out to play a game of cricket for our country or wherever he goes, I think it is a great inspiration for people like us still playing the game in the Indian national team and for everyone playing alongside with him.

“I think it definitely benefits the way he puts on the performances. So, very happy to have him,” Samson told reporters on the eve of the India-Sri Lanka men’s cricket semi-final at the Asian Games.

With multiple Indian squads operating simultaneously across international and age-group setups, ranging from the main ODI and T20I teams to the ‘A’ sides and U-19 squads, Samson attributed this unmatched bench strength to a robust domestic ecosystem working in tandem with the Indian Premier League (IPL).

“Absolutely, I think it is all over the internet. It is a known fact nowadays how strong Indian cricket has grown from last so many years. So, I think there has been some constant effort. I think definitely IPL plays a huge role. But I feel our domestic cricket is also playing a huge role actually.

“We have been constantly making great efforts to go out and play all the domestic matches whenever we get a chance and that is where we tend to develop lot of talents also. So, our grooming things are really nicely placed actually.

“The Mushtaq Ali, the Vijay Hazare, the Ranji Trophy, even the under-19 are travelling abroad every season actually. So, a great amount of cricketers are coming from these kind of games, which is a great thing for our country and we will keep doing our best,” he added.

–IANS

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