Sanju Samson (BCCI photo) NEW DELHI: Sanju Samson’s immense talent was never in doubt but a difficult bilateral series against New Zealand prompted the team management to give him a break ahead of the T20 World Cup, head coach Gautam Gambhir said after the Kerala batsman led India to the semi-finals with a sensational knock.Samson hit an unbeaten 97 under pressure to anchor a tough 196-run chase against the West Indies on Sunday night.
T20 World Cup: Gautam Gambhir on Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah and record chase against West Indies
“Obviously he had a tough series against New Zealand. So sometimes it’s important to give him (Samson) a break as well because you want to get that guy out of that pressure situation as well,” head coach Gambhir said in the post-match press conference.After being pushed down the order during the Asia Cup – a move that affected his rhythm – Samson was given the entire series against New Zealand. However, a string of low scores — 10, 6, 0, 24, 6 — led to growing criticism.He did not feature in India’s opening tournament against the USA. Abhishek Sharma’s illness brought him back for the Namibia match, but then he was ruled out again.A personal tragedy involving Rinka Singh (the death of his father), coupled with the team management’s desire to avoid overloading left-handers at the top, resulted in Samson’s return to the playing XI.Asked about his conversations with Samson during this stop-start phase, Gambhir said:“I talk to everyone and the most important thing is the guys who are part of this team, they are world-class players and that’s why they represent the country. We always knew the talent that Sanju had. Three T20 hundreds, not many people have that, so we always knew that.”“And we always knew that whenever we needed him in a World Cup game, he would come and deliver for us.Gambhir felt the foundation for Samson’s match-winning efforts was laid during his blistering 24 off 15 balls against Zimbabwe when he came on as a replacement for Rinka.“Against Zimbabwe, he stood up for us. In the first three overs we had the start we wanted. And today again, where he left off against Zimbabwe, he showed his talent. And that’s what we expect from Sanju more consistently.”One of the striking aspects of Samson’s innings was the pace. With a success rate of 194, he looked composed rather than reckless – something Gambhir highlighted.“I actually thought he never really quickened the innings. It was just very, very normal cricket shots and I never saw any muscle balls and that’s the kind of talent he’s got.”Samson relied heavily on classic ground strokes and crisp running between the wickets – qualities that were not always associated with his T20 approach.“When you know you’re in control of the game and you feel good, you start hitting the ball really well into the nets.”Although Gambhir is often criticized for his inconsistency, he believes this innings could be a turning point.“I’ve always said he’s a world-class player, he’s a big talent and hopefully he can start from now on and hopefully we’ll see a lot more innings like that from Sanju. It was all about supporting him. Today was the day he probably showed his true potential as well. And hopefully it’s time for him to start and hopefully two more games,” the coach said optimistically.
