Sanju Samson eyes Test debut, discusses red-ball ambitions with team leadership

Despite not yet securing a regular spot in India's white-ball teams, Sanju Samson remains hopeful of making his Test debut. The wicketkeeper-batter, who recently hit his maiden T20I century against Bangladesh, has made it clear that his ambitions extend beyond limited-overs cricket. Samson has already had discussions with Team India's leadership, including head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma, about his red-ball cricket dreams.

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In a recent interview with Sportstar, Samson revealed his confidence in succeeding in Test cricket and his desire to be considered for the format. "I believe I have the skill set to succeed in red-ball cricket, and I just don't want to restrict myself to white-ball cricket. My desire is to play Test cricket for India," Samson stated.

What’s encouraging for Samson is that both Gambhir and Rohit see potential in him as a Test player. Samson shared that before the Duleep Trophy, the leadership group had advised him to focus more on red-ball cricket, urging him to play more Ranji Trophy matches. "They were considering me for red-ball cricket and asked me to take it seriously," he added.

Samson's T20I century in the series against Bangladesh also drew attention, with the batter crediting skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Gambhir for giving him the freedom to play his natural game.