Sanju Samson says India used rain-enforced downtime for team bonding
Sanju Samson said India used rain-enforced downtime in Nagoya to bond and prepare strategies ahead of their Asian Games semi-final against Sri Lanka on Thursday.
Sanju Samson said India used weather-enforced downtime to hone strategies and bond through gym sessions ahead of their Asian Games semi-final against Sri Lanka. Persistent rain in Nagoya forced the team to practice indoors, prompting indoor training, conditioning sessions and team meetings to stay mentally prepared.
India advanced to the semi-final on seeding after their quarter-final against Afghanistan was washed out. The team has been in Japan for 10 days but played only a five-overs-a-side game against the hosts on September 22. Samson said the players were excited to get out and play a proper game after remaining indoors.
Samson warned against complacency against Sri Lanka, noting that any team can dominate in T20 format and that conditions play a huge role. India are defending their gold medal from the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where their final against Afghanistan was also washed out.
CricHubb Take
India's ability to field multiple senior teams simultaneously across formats demonstrates the depth created by the domestic structure and IPL, though it also means players like Samson receive limited preparation time before major events.