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‘Very, very fortunate to have someone like him’ - Sanju Samson on Virat Kohli

Sanju Samson recently praised Virat Kohli as an immense inspiration for the national squad following Kohli's remarkable unbeaten century against the West Indies. During that opening fixture in Thiruvananthapuram, Kohli amassed 139 runs from 88 deliveries to secure an eight-wicket victory, simultaneously surpassing Sachin Tendulkar to become the second-fastest player to reach 15,000 men's ODI runs.

Speaking ahead of India's Asian Games semi-final matchup against Sri Lanka in Nagoya, Japan, Samson noted that having a competitor of Kohli's caliber greatly benefits the entire team culture.

In addition to commending his senior teammate, Samson evaluated the strength of India's talent pipeline during a press briefing. He credited the Indian Premier League alongside traditional domestic competitions like the Ranji Trophy, Vijay Hazare Trophy, and Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for continually cultivating elite cricketers.

According to the wicket-keeper-batter, structured youth development and regular domestic participation ensure that players remain fully prepared for international competition.

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