Brief Score: India (199 for 5 in 19.2 overs) beat West Indies (195 for 4 in 20 overs) by 5 wickets in their last Super 8 match. | Scorecard |
The Sanju Samson experience has long been Indian cricket’s most beautiful frustration, a merry-go-round of what-ifs and if-onlys. But in a must-win Super 8 match at Eden Gardens, Samson produced one of the greatest chases in T20 World Cup history. It was Virat Kohli style.
His 97 not out off 50 balls to smash West Indies wasn’t just about runs; it was about timing. It was a Kolkata Special for the Kerala batter, a knock that finally ended the wait for a career-defining World Cup moment.
Yet he was as clinical after the match as Samson was with the bat the press conference belonged to Gautam Gambhir.
After a self-imposed seven-match exile from the media this T20 World Cup, the head coach returned to the microphone with the same sharp precision that defined his own batting.
Gambhir began by explaining why his long-running ‘Project Sanju’ was shut down at the start of the tournament. To the public, Samson was left out. For Gambhir, it was a weapon that kept itself.
Samson lost his place in the party after a poor run in the bilateral series against New Zealand in January. However, the star opener made a comeback ahead of India’s match against Zimbabwe in Chennai. The loss to South Africa exposed the structural imbalance in India’s top order with three left-handers in Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Tilak Varma. Samson’s return restored the symmetry. Left, right, left.
“I have talks with everyone. The most important thing is that the guys who are part of the team are world-class players and that’s why they represent the country. We always knew the talent Sanju had. He has three T20 hundreds. Not many people have that,” he said.
“He had a tough series against New Zealand. Sometimes it’s also important to give him a break because you want to get the guy out of that pressure situation. We always knew that whenever we needed him in a World Cup game, he would do it.”
“Against Zimbabwe, he did. We got the start we wanted in the first three overs. Today again, where he left off against Zimbabwe, he showed his talent. That’s what we expect from Sanju more consistently.”
Nod of approval from Master CHASE
Gautam Gambhir and Sanju Samson after India’s 5-wicket win over West Indies (PTI Photo)
When asked about Samson’s footwork and acceleration, Gambhir characteristically turned away from the spectacle. He refused to call it an explosion. Instead, he rephrased it to review. A championship with no visible power.
Samson hit 12 boundaries and four sixes to remain unbeaten on 97 as India chased down 196 in 19.2 overs to book their place in the semi-finals.
Gambhir immediately recognized the anatomy of the innings. He understood his restraint, his pacing, his refusal to panic. Few people understand the architecture of the World Cup chase better than he does. After all, he single-handedly engineered India’s most remarkable knock of 97 in the 2011 World Cup final that turned the pressure on permanence.
“Actually I thought he never accelerated the innings. It was just very normal cricket shots. I never saw him muscle the ball,” Gambhir said.
“That’s the kind of talent he has. When you know you’re in control and you’re feeling good, he was hitting the ball really well in the net. It was about going into the middle and showing that skill.”
“He knew the wicket was very good, the quick outfield as well. I’ve always said he’s a world-class player, a big talent. Hopefully he can start now and we can see a lot more innings like that from Sanju,” he said.
Samson scored just 24 off 15 on his return to the playing XI against Zimbabwe. India smashed 256 in Chennai, but Gambhir revealed that the innings carried more weight than its numbers suggested.
“The last innings against Zimbabwe was important. People will still look at the score, but coming back into the team and playing innings like that gave him a lot of confidence. He had a tough series against New Zealand but we always knew the potential he had. Most importantly, the way he batted in the nets was absolutely brilliant,” he said.
“I think we’ve got two guys now, Ishan and Sanju, who are really good friends and they can both keep wickets too. We’ve got really good guys going forward.”
Then came the line that defined the press conference.
Then came a statement that probably sent shockwaves through the BCCI analytics department. At a time when coaches are inseparable from iPads, Gambhir used his platform to publicly execute Moneyball cricket.
“I don’t believe in data. I honestly don’t even know what data is about. I absolutely don’t believe in it. It’s more about instinct,” he said.
“T20 cricket is about instinct and supporting your instinct. Whatever knowledge I have about the game, I try to give it to the captain and help him as much as I can. Ultimately, it is the captain who takes the final call.”
BUMRAH IS A BANKER
If he doesn’t trust the data, then how will he field Jasprit Bumrah, world cricket’s most valuable fast bowler, across different phases, matches and oppositions with such accuracy?
The answer lies in instinct, not formula.
On Sunday, Bumrah bowled just one over in the over. He then came back for one in the middle overs and two at the death. This single middle spell changed the direction of the innings. West Indies slipped from 99 for 1 to 103 for 3, losing Shimron Hetmyer and Roston Chase in the space of three deliveries. The exchange never regained its authority.
“It’s more to do with the opposition and where their firepower lies. West Indies have a lot of firepower in the middle with Hetmyer, Roston Chase and others. Those guys can take the game away from you,” he said.
“We knew we needed someone like Bumrah in the middle.
“Bumrah was important in the middle so whenever there was a big over we could go back to him and control the game. In T20 cricket you don’t want back to back big overs. Bumrah is a banker and we will continue to use him in different ways.”
More instinct than algorithm. More conviction than calculation.
The Indian campaign itself reflects this clarity. After defeating South Africa, they progressed to the semi-finals with emphatic wins over Zimbabwe and the West Indies.
IS INDIA’S PEAK AT THE RIGHT TIME?
Gambhir rejected this premise.
“I don’t believe in peaking at the right time. When you represent your country, you have to win matches. It’s that simple,” Gambhir said.
“It’s a short tournament. You have to try to win every game. You can’t take any opposition for granted.”
“When we play for the country, we represent 140 million Indians. We want to turn up and win every match possible.”
THE WORD CUP 2011 SIX?
The most revealing moment came at the very end.
It is an open secret in Indian cricket that Gambhir’s 97 in the 2011 World Cup final is often remembered less vividly than the six that completed it. When asked about Shivam Dube’s brief cameo, Gambhir praised the contribution, but his words carried the weight of something deeper. It sounded less like a compliment and more like a correction.
“Look, I’m glad you’re talking about every post because for too many years we’ve only talked about certain posts. This is a team sport and it will always be a team sport.”
“I think Shivam’s borders are as important to me as 97 Sanju.
“A big contribution will be in the headlines. A small contribution, a contribution that can help the team win, cross that line, will be very important. And that’s why I say this will be the philosophy for the future until I’m there,” he signed off.
As India head to the Wankhede to face England, they do so with a wicketkeeper who has finally arrived and a coach who never stopped shaping the story even when he wasn’t talking.
T20 World Cup | T20 World Cup Schedule | T20 World Cup Points Table | T20 World Cup Videos | Cricket News | Live Score
– The end
Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
02 March 2026 03:00 IST
