India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has thrown his weight behind struggling opener Abhishek Sharma, expressing confidence that the young left-hander can turn things around and deliver in the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand.
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Abhishek Sharma’s struggles in the T20 World Cup reached a new low during the semifinal against England, where he was dismissed for just nine runs off seven balls. For the second time in the tournament, the young left-hander fell victim to the off-spin of Will Jacks, highlighting what appears to be a recurring technical vulnerability against that type of bowling.
Yet inside the Indian dressing room, the belief in the young batter remains intact. Samson insisted that the team continues to back Abhishek and believes that a turnaround could come at the biggest moment of the tournament.
“We have a great dressing-room environment. Our leaders have a lot of faith in Abhishek and we’re all supporting him. Every player goes through ups and downs. It may just take a couple of good shots in the middle and everything can change in this format. We still believe in him, and who knows—maybe the final will be his day,” Sanju Samson told reporters after the second semi-final in Mumbai.
Despite entering the knockout stage with high expectations after a promising lead-up to the tournament, the pressure of the global stage appears to have weighed heavily on the opener. His tournament highlight so far remains a 55-run knock against Zimbabwe in the Super 8 stage—notably the second-slowest half-century of his career—which has stood in contrast to the explosive reputation he built in the format.
Abhishek has continued to receive strong backing from the Indian team management as well as sections of the fans, even after a disastrous group stage that saw him register three ducks. However, his inability to recalibrate his aggressive batting approach during the tournament has gradually begun to test that patience.
Across seven matches, the left-hander has managed just 85 runs at an average of 14.16 with a strike rate of 132.81. Apart from the half-century against Zimbabwe, he has struggled to find any rhythm in the competition. His campaign began on a worrying note with successive ducks against the United States, Pakistan and the Netherlands, and he has not been able to build any meaningful momentum since.
While Abhishek has endured a difficult tournament, Samson himself admitted that he too went through a challenging phase earlier in the lead-up to the World Cup. The wicketkeeper-batter revealed that the pressure to secure a spot in India’s playing XI led him to overreach during the home T20I series against New Zealand.
‘WAS TRYING TOO MUCH IN NZ SERIES’
Samson endured a difficult run in that series, which eventually saw Ishan Kishan move ahead of him in the pecking order and open alongside Abhishek Sharma at the start of the ongoing T20 World Cup.
However, the team management later brought Samson back into the XI to break the sequence of left-handers in the batting order, and the Kerala batter has since made the opportunity count in emphatic fashion.
He followed up an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies with a scintillating match-winning knock of 89 off just 42 balls against England in the semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium.
Reflecting on the period when he struggled to cement his place in the side, Samson admitted that the pressure of making an impression ahead of the World Cup had affected his approach.
“I think that was very challenging for me. I definitely wanted to come and do what I am trying to do now for the country, contribute and win games in the (T20) World Cup,” Samson, who had also made an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies in the previous match, told reporters in the pre-match press meet.
“But I think I was trying a bit too much in the New Zealand series. I wanted to make an impact and get into the (playing) eleven of the World Cup here,” he added.
“But I think this cricket (T20s) can get very funny. Even the best in the world actually struggle to score runs in this format,” he added.
Samson’s return to form proved crucial in India’s dramatic semifinal victory over England on Thursday. Riding on his sublime innings and a spell from Jasprit Bumrah that bordered on the extraordinary, the defending champions held their nerve to secure a seven-run win and seal a place in the final.
Samson’s 89 off 42 balls came after he survived an early challenge from Jofra Archer, eventually finding his rhythm to power India to a mammoth 253 for seven – the highest total ever recorded in a knockout match in the tournament’s history.
England mounted a fierce counterattack in the chase, led by Jacob Bethell, who smashed a brilliant 105 off just 48 deliveries after the visitors had slipped to 68 for three in the powerplay.
However, India held their nerve in the closing stages. Bumrah’s exceptional control in the death overs – finishing with figures of 1 for 33 from four overs—proved decisive as England were restricted to 246 for seven in their 20 overs.
The victory booked India’s place in the T20 World Cup final, where they will take on New Zealand in Ahmedabad on Sunday, with the defending champions now one step away from retaining their title.
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