India's wicketkeeper-batter and Rajasthan Royals captain, Sanju Samson, has revealed that the Indian team management has encouraged him to focus more on red-ball cricket, especially the Ranji Trophy, as they consider him for a possible Test selection. Despite debuting in international cricket back in 2015, Samson has yet to feature in India’s Test squad.

In an interview with Sportstar, Samson shared, “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. Before the Duleep Trophy, the leadership group had told me that they were considering me for red-ball cricket and asked me to take it seriously and play more Ranji Trophy matches."

Samson also reflected on his recent century in the Duleep Trophy, which boosted his confidence, “The century in the Duleep Trophy has given me a lot of confidence as it came against some of the best bowlers in the country." He credited his recent training at the Rajasthan Royals Academy, where he worked closely with Rahul Dravid and Zubin Bharucha, for his improved performance in red-ball cricket.

In his first-class career, Samson has scored 3,819 runs at an average of 38.96, including 11 centuries.