Former Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar has come in to laud Sanju Samson after his sincere efforts paid off during the last game against the West Indies. Gavaskar had thrown some weight behind the seasoned Indian campaigner before. Gavaskar is happy, as he got the success he deserved.
Sanju Samson played the best innings of his life for India, as he not only led them to victory but also manifested a special effort in just his third appearance for India in a T20 World Cup. However, Samson was also part of the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup squad and won the title without making a single appearance.
This time around as well, Samson had to wait for a long time to get his major opportunity at the top of the Indian batting order. Finally, when he got his chance, he grabbed it with some finesse and led India to a memorable victory.
This sincere cricketer has got the success he deserves – Sunil Gavaskar
Former Indian great Sunil Gavaskar looked elated at the stunning performance from the Indian wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson. He powered India with his 97-run knock, concluding the famous chase that brought an end to the West Indies’ legacy at the Eden Gardens.
Speaking on Star Sports, Sunil Gavaskar framed the innings not just as a match-winning knock but also as an emotional buster following a difficult phase in his batting career. To Samson, Gavaskar feels this would be beyond just numbers, especially due to their lean patch.
“This knock of 97 not out takes the weight off not just Sanju Samson’s shoulders, but off everyone who knows what a fine player he has been. He has had ups and downs, and we have felt them too because he is such a nice guy. Everybody wants him to do well,” Gavaskar said.
“All Indian cricket fans will be happy that this sincere cricketer has got the success he deserves,” said Gavaskar, underlining the importance of the innings.
The idea is to have as few dot balls as possible- Sunil Gavaskar
Sunil Gavaskar also reflected on the clear tactical approach of the Indian players who pulled off their most successful run-chase in the history of T20 World Cups. His first major outlook was the approach of playing the minimum number of dot balls.
“Having a set batter at one end is very beneficial. The other batter can look to knock singles and give more strike to the set batter. That way, there are not too many dot balls. In T20 cricket, the idea is to have as few dot balls as possible,” he said.
Sunil Gavaskar sensed that Indian batters had realized this strategy and implemented it successfully across innings, not just in one-off situations.
“I think the Indian team has realized that. If you look at the teams with the lowest percentage of dot balls, India are pretty high up there. I am not saying they are the best, but they are up there. That is where half the battle is won,” he added.
Sanju Samson winning the POTM was a ‘dream come true’ for the cricketer
He further went on to explain numerically what made India chase them for the mammoth total with ease. “Out of 120 deliveries, if you score runs off 80 to 85 balls, you give yourself a real chance to chase scores like 190 to 200, and India did exactly that against the West Indies.”
Sunil Gavaskar further said that winning a POTM in such a crucial must-win game is a ‘dream come true’ for any cricketer, and so it was for Sanju Samson. “You could see the emotions on Sanju’s face after he hit the winning runs,” he said, while noting that the batter finished three short of a hundred.
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