India head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav. (NOT a photo) NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir has warned that nothing short of a “special effort” will be enough when the defending champions take on England in a sensational T20 World Cup semi-final in Mumbai, even as he praised Sanju Samson for making his title defense alive.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Samson produced a stunning unbeaten 97 from just 50 balls to help India to a five-wicket win over the West Indies at a packed Eden Gardens as they raced to 196 in the winner-take-all Super Eights clash. His knock, studded with 12 fours and four sixes, lifted India to 199/5 and into the last four.
T20 World Cup: Gautam Gambhir on Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah and record chase against West Indies
“We all know how good a player Sanju is,” Gambhir said after the match. “It was all about us supporting him and when the team needed him the most. Today was obviously the day he probably showed his full potential.”Samson played just one match in the group stage and scored 22 against Namibia as India preferred a left-arm opening pair. Remember the Super Eights added a right-arm option at the top, he made 24 against Zimbabwe – enough for Gambhir to last him.“I’ve always said he’s a world-class player. He’s a big talent and hopefully he can continue from now on and we can see a lot more innings like that,” Gambhir added.
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But attention now shifts to the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, where a formidable England side await on Thursday. Harry Brook’s men arrive at the Super Eights unbeaten and on top at the right time.“Look, it’s a world-class team, it’s a quality team, they’ve got a lot of quality players as well,” Gambhir said in the post-match press conference.He recognized the new challenge posed by the post-Calcutta Wankhede conditions. “We all know it’s a tough game to play at the Wankhede, but it’s another opportunity to do something special for the team and for the country.”India, he stressed, must be flawless.“I hope we play our best game, that will be very important and we can continue in all the boxes. Because we will need a special effort to beat a quality team like England,” Gambhir further added.
