'I'm not a robot!': Sanju Samson reacts unfiltered on how he handles criticism & trolling after match-winning 57 against Afghanistan

'I'm not a robot!': Sanju Samson reacts unfiltered on how he handles criticism & trolling after match-winning 57 against Afghanistan originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

India star Sanju Samson smashed 57 off 22 balls against Afghanistan after surviving severe criticism over five consecutive failures in T20I cricket.

Samson admitted that outside noise does get through, and used a "Wi-Fi" metaphor to describe how he tries to block it out.

Despite acknowledging that criticism hurts, Samson said experience and clear preparation help him stay focused and play freely at the crease.

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Sanju Samson on outside noise: India wicketkeeper explains 'wi-fi problem' and how he handles criticism from senior players

Sanju Samson has been playing for India long enough to know the criticism never really stops, but it just changes shape. After smashing 57 off 22 balls to steer India to a seven-wicket win over Afghanistan in the second T20I in New Delhi on Tuesday, he finally spoke about what it actually feels like to bat under that kind of spotlight.

Five successive failures in international cricket, a teenager breathing down his neck for the opening slot, social media dissecting every dismissal; Samson had a lot to deal with since he flew back from England. By the time Samson walked out on Tuesday, the questions about his place in the side had reached a volume that was hard to ignore.

However, he let his bat do the talking, and 52 of his 57 runs came in boundaries. It was a fluent innings that showed a batsman who has cleared his head and decided to play.

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Samson has been fighting a selection battle with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who had impressed on India's Zimbabwe tour while he had been left out of that series entirely, following his lean run through the Ireland and England assignments. Although Tuesday's innings didn't permanently close the selection debate, it shifted it considerably.

MORE: 'Not easy running Indian team!': Sanju Samson breaks silence on Vaibhav Sooryavanshi selection heat and tough leadership calls

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What did Sanju Samson say about dealing with criticism?

After shutting down his critics, Samson described how he tries to manage the constant stream of opinion from the outside world every time he fails.

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"I try to switch the Wi-Fi off," he said after the win. "But sometimes the Wi-Fi gets switched on and comments become visible. Some senior player says something. So I think it's very normal."

He then went further, addressing the idea that international players are somehow immune to public opinion, an assumption that's flattering to cricketers but rarely true.

"Definitely, outside noise does affect cricketers in India," he said. "But you need to be very clear about what your mindset is, how you need to prepare and what mindset you need to play with."

MORE: IND vs AFG 2nd T20I 2026: Sanju Samson's 57 makes it an easy win for India

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It's one thing to say criticism affects you and it's another to say it with the kind of frankness Samson showed in this particular press conference. He acknowledged the vulnerability directly and refused to dress it up with the usual platitudes about mental strength.

"I think I have been mature enough and experienced enough to know how to handle it. Earlier, it used to hurt a little. I'm not a machine. We are not robots that we can say, 'No, it doesn't affect me.' Definitely, it affects you," he said.

Samson explained that if he'd paid attention to every critical voice before walking to the crease, he'd have been second-guessing himself on every shot. "If I paid attention to those things, I couldn't bat like this. Before hitting a shot, I would think ten times, 'Yaar, out ho gaya toh phir Wi-Fi problem ho jayega.' So instead, I tell myself, 'Koi baat nahi.'"

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Samson's honesty is a lesson in what sportspeople rarely admit

Athletes in India are expected to be bulletproof. They are expected to admit nothing, show no vulnerability, maintain the persona of someone entirely unmoved by criticism; that's the accepted script.

Samson tossed that out and said something far more useful: yes, it gets to me sometimes, but here's what I do about it. That's not weakness, but emotional intelligence.

The Wi-Fi metaphor is going to stick around, and rightly so, as it's an unexpectedly accurate way of describing how modern athletes have to manage information overload in the social media era. More importantly, what Samson modelled after this innings is the right kind of example for younger players watching: not invulnerability, but the ability to acknowledge the noise, set it aside and perform anyway. That's the harder skill, and it's the one that matters most.

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