NEW DELHI: Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir delivered a stirring endorsement of Sanju Samson after the batter’s unbeaten 97 powered India into the T20 World Cup semifinals, calling the knock a glimpse of the “true potential” the team always believed in.
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Samson’s majestic 97* at the iconic Eden Gardens guided India to a five-wicket win over West Indies in a high-pressure Super Eight clash, keeping alive their dream of retaining the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title at home.
“Sanju is a world-class player, we all know how good a player he is. And it was all about backing him. And then when the team needed him the most, obviously today was a day where he probably showed his true potential, and hopefully, this is a time for him to kick off and probably two more games to go,” Gambhir told reporters after the match.
Under scrutiny following a lean run and a difficult series against New Zealand before the tournament, Samson responded in the most emphatic fashion. Chasing 196, India were wobbling early before the right-hander anchored the innings with calm authority, carrying his bat through the chase.
Gambhir was particularly impressed by the manner of the innings.
“Look, I actually thought that he never accelerated the innings.
It was just a very, very normal cricketing shot, and I never saw any muscling the ball as well, and that is the kind of talent he has. When you know that you’re in control of the game and you know that you’re feeling good, he’s hitting the ball really well in the nets and it’s about going in the middle and showcasing that skill that you had,” he said.
Highlighting Samson’s composure on a good batting surface with a quick outfield, Gambhir reiterated his long-standing faith. “I have always said that he is a world-class player, he is a great talent and hopefully he can kick off now and hopefully we can see a lot more innings like this from Sanju.”
He also brushed aside criticism centred on past scores. “People will keep looking at his scores and stuff, but then coming back into the team and then playing that kind of innings… it must have given him a lot of confidence. Because obviously, the guy had a tough series against New Zealand. But we always knew the kind of potential he had.”
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