In a very important match of the T20 World Cup, Sanju Samson led India to victory by scoring unbeaten 97 runs against West Indies. After this match-winning inning, coach Gautam Gambhir praised Sanju and described his batting as ‘world class’.
Kolkata: Team India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has praised Sanju Samson’s brilliant innings in the ‘do or die’ match of the T20 World Cup. In this important match against West Indies, Sanju single-handedly led India to victory. Interestingly, coach Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav had ignored Sanju in the group stage matches, but now what Gambhir has said on Sanju’s batting is surprising.
What did Gambhir say in praise of Sanju Samson?
Sanju scored an unbeaten 97 runs in this match held at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Gambhir described this innings as ‘world class’. He said that Sanju showed his full ability in moments of pressure. While chasing the big target of 196 runs, Gambhir was impressed by the intelligent way with which Sanju batted.
Gambhir said, “Sanju is a world class player. The way he handled the innings while chasing runs was amazing. He did not play any unnecessary shots, stayed at the crease and played smartly. All the shots he played were classic cricketing shots. This is his specialty. Even though he did not make a big score against Zimbabwe, he performed his duty well there too.”
Gambhir further said, “I do not believe in statistics. T20 cricket is a game of decision-making and mental strength as per the situation. In big matches, the intelligence shown on the field is more important than statistics.”
‘This is the team’s victory’ – Gautam Gambhir
Coach Gambhir said that apart from Sanju’s 97 runs, the contribution of other players of the team was equally important in the victory. Reiterating his philosophy, he said, “Shivam Dubey’s two fours in the last over were as important as Sanju’s innings. Tilak Verma’s 27 runs were also very valuable. Only when everyone in the team makes a small contribution, a big victory is achieved.”
Talking about bowling, Gambhir said, “Bumrah is our reliable bowler as always. Even though Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya did not get wickets in the powerplay, they benefited the team by controlling the runs. The way Akshar Patel bowled in the powerplay is praiseworthy. I am sure that these players will perform well for India in the future as well.”
West Indies captain Shai Hope also praised Sanju’s batting. “Sanju played an ‘A+’ innings. It’s a great example of how an experienced player can control the run chase,” Hope said.
T20 World Cup: India in semi-finals for the sixth time
With this victory, the current champion Team India has made it to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup for the sixth time. In 2007, India won the first T20 World Cup under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. After this, in 2014 the team reached the final, but lost to Sri Lanka. In 2016 and 2022, India’s journey ended in the semi-finals. Team India became champion in 2024 under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma and has now once again reached the semi-finals.