Sanju Samson of India (ANI Photo) India put up a spectacular display to push Zimbabwe away in the 48th match of the ongoing T20 World Cup at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on February 26. Asked to bat first, the men in blue piled up an impressive 256 in the opening innings, a total that saw Zimbabwe face an uphill task from the start.The batting unit received widespread applause, especially for the way the openers set the tone. Sanju Samson, drafted into the XI in place of Rinku Singh, had plenty of attention ahead of the clash. With Abhishek Sharma at the helm, Samson hit 24 off just 15 balls to ensure India took full advantage of the power play and seized the early momentum.
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After the emphatic win, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin offered a balanced assessment of Samson’s knock on his YouTube channel.“I will see it from two sides. One, Sanju Samson, the boy I know and what he is capable of. The other is Samson for the Indian team. This team in this World Cup handled the opening partnership in this match. We had a better start. If Sanju can give me 15-ball 28, 16-ball 30, from here to the final,” but he would say he could win a big job for the team. Ash also did a great job.Ashwin also expressed a more personal wish for the Kerala batsmen, hoping to turn their starts into something substantial during the tournament.“For Samson, whom I like, I really want him to hang on and make a huge score. There won’t be a better opportunity than this. I want him to start well and capitalize as well. If you come here on this platform after years of hard work, catch the flight. Even if you fall, you can at least say you tried. I would like him to finish the World Cup with a hundred, or add that he deserves for winning the match.”
