NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir has expressed rousing support for Sanju Samson after his unbeaten 97 took India to the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup, calling it a glimpse of the “real potential” the team has always believed in.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!Samson’s majestic 97* at the iconic Eden Gardens guided India to a five-wicket win over the West Indies in a high-pressure Super Eight clash, keeping alive their dream of retaining the ICC Men’s T20 world title at home.“Sanju is a world-class player, we all know how good a player he is. And it was all about supporting him. And when the team needed him the most, today was obviously the day he probably showed his true potential and hopefully it’s time for him to kick on and he probably has two more games to go,” Gambhir told reporters after the match.
T20 World Cup: Gautam Gambhir on Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah and record chase against West Indies
Under scrutiny after a slim run and a difficult series against New Zealand ahead of the tournament, Samson responded in the most emphatic way. Chasing 196, India were reeling early before the right-hander anchored the innings with calm authority and chased down his bat.Gambhir was particularly impressed by the manner of the innings.“Look, I actually thought he never got his innings up. It was just a very, very normal cricket shot and I never saw any muscle on the ball either, and that’s the kind of talent he’s got. When you know you’re in control of the game and you know you’re comfortable, he hits the ball really well in the nets and it’s about being able to play in the middle.”Emphasizing Samson’s composure on a good batting surface with a fast outfield, Gambhir reiterated his long-standing belief. “I’ve always said he’s a world-class player, he’s a big talent and hopefully he can start now and hopefully we’ll see a lot more innings like that from Sanju.”He also brushed aside criticism aimed at past scores. “People will still look at his scores and stuff, but then to come back into the team and then play an innings like that… it must have given him a lot of confidence. Because obviously the guy had a tough series against New Zealand. But we always knew he had potential.”
