New Delhi: Sanju Samson batted with a lot of purpose and poise in India’s five-wicket win over West Indies in the T20 World Cup and should be given regular opportunities in the white-ball formats, believes Sourav Ganguly.
The swashbuckling opener has been criticised for low scores in the build-up to the tournament and lost his place in the playing XI.
But on Sunday, he cracked an unbeaten 97 off 50 balls, his first half century in 13 innings, to guide India in a 196-run chase at Eden Gardens and entry in to the semi-finals.
“He’s a very good player. He should consistently play for India in white-ball cricket — 100 per cent,” the former India skipper said on Monday.
“It was a virtual quarterfinal, and to be 97 not out shows his quality. He’s that sort of a player… when he gets in, he will hurt the opposition.”
Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya were all dismissed cheaply but Samson batted with authority to carry his bat till the finish.
“He played to the situation, and that was important. What it teaches all of us is that the same boy who, in the last six months, could not find his place in the team – whether it was Ishan Kishan opening or somebody else coming in,” Ganguly said.
“Just before the World Cup, I used to read headlines saying ‘Sanju fails again’, ‘he should not deserve a place’, ‘India has so much talent, why is Shubman Gill not in the side?’ – and yet here is a boy in a quarterfinal game, gets 97 not out and takes you to the semi-final.”
But the former BCCI president also pointed that since England will pose a tougher challenge than West Indies, India will have to be on top of their game in Mumbai on Thursday.
“England will be a stronger opposition than the West Indies. They have to play just like they won yesterday,” Ganguly said.