CRICKET – SANJU Samson delivered under pressure when it mattered most, coach Gautam Gambhir said, praising the wicket-keeper batter for his pivotal role in securing India’s semi-final spot in the Twenty20 World Cup.
Samson’s unbeaten knock of 97 guided India to a crucial chase of 196 against the West Indies, sealing victory with four balls to spare in a must-win game yesterday.
“He’s a world-class player, we all know how good a player Sanju is,” Gambhir said and added, “It was all about backing him. When the team needed him the most – obviously today was the day – he showed his full potential.”
Following early dismissals of Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, Samson steadied India’s innings against the Caribbean attack.
He registered the highest individual score by an Indian in a T20 World Cup chase, surpassing Virat Kohli’s knocks of 82 against Australia and Pakistan. It was just very normal cricketing shots and I never saw him muscling the ball as well. That is the kind of talent he has, Gambhir said.
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