Sanju Samson stole the show on Sunday night with a match-winning knock of unbeaten 97 runs against West Indies in Indiaโs final Super Eights clash at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Chasing 196 runs to book a slot in the semi-finals, India lost two early wickets of Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan. Despite so, Samson managed to keep up with the tempo and got the job done in the middle.
After the win, it was the journey of Samson that was the most discussed topic. The Kerala batter never earned constant opportunities and when he did, he proved his mettle. However, he was soon slotted in the middle order after Shubman Gillโs return. Strategic alterations brought him back to the top order, but he was dropped on the basis of poor form but eventually returned.ย
The ups and downs have been a massive part of Samsonโs journey and captain Suryakumar Yadav understands that. Speaking after the game, he noted that good things happen to people who have patience and also noted the hard work the keeper-batter put in to be in the position he is in.
โI always say, good things happen to good people who wait, who have a lot of patience. I said it just now as well when I met him. But then it’s all his hard work, what he’s been doing behind the doors when he was not playing, and he’s got the fruit of it at the perfect stage. And the way he batted, took the side completely to the victory,โ Suryakumar said in the post-match presentation.
Suryakumar pays his respect
Soon after the end of the game, Suryakumar bowed down to Samson in respect. Other players such as Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya and Rinku Singh joined the celebration as India booked their slot in the T20 World Cup semi-final. They will be playing England in the marquee clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.ย