Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri couldn’t be any prouder of Sanju Samson for having played the most special knock of his career in the do-or-die game against the West Indies. He has dropped immense praise for the cricketer alongside several other legends of the game.
Despite the ghosts of the 2016 T20 World Cup semi-final haunting them alongside the West Indies’ invincible record at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India, they turned the game, which was 50-50, with their batting antics. The architect of the Indian show remained Sanju Samson.
“It is Sanju’s special Samson today” – Ravi Shastri’s massive praise for Sanju Samson
Throughout his career, having played many promising innings, Samson could never cement his legacy until his innings last night at the Eden Gardens. Samson’s resilience and grit stood out, earning massive praise from greats of Indian cricket, Sachin Tendulkar, Yuvraj Singh, Mohammad Kaif, and Irfan Pathan. However, Ravi Shastri’s praise remained a cherry on top.
“It is Sanju’s special Samson today, and that innings was special because of just his calmness, his composure, and just the sublime touch right through that innings,” Ravi Shastri said on The ICC Review.
“You had everything. You had timing, you had placement, you had explosive power, you had class, and what I liked best was that even with wickets falling around him, he never lost his cool. He was calm and composed in front of a big crowd,” Ravi Shastri continued.
“He brought everything to the fore today and made millions around the globe happy” – Ravi Shastri
Sanju Samson has been eyeing the opportunity throughout his life. For the longest time, Samson’s mistreatment in the Indian team sparked ‘Justice for Sanju Samson’ on social media. Samson had to make it count this time, and he did not crumble to the pressure of big teams or big opposition.
Samson instead batted like a pro, with great composure and maturity, drawing on all his experience. He has played many memorable knocks for India, including the twin hundreds for India in T20Is in South Africa in 2024.
“This was not a league game. This was a knockout contest. People, their expectations of Samson have been huge right through his career. No one has questioned his talent, but they have been disappointed with his consistency. He brought everything to the fore today and made millions around the globe happy,” he added.
Gautam Gambhir points out the stunning dynamics of Sanju Samson’s innings
Dinesh Karthik summed up Sanju Samson’s approach stunningly. He highlighted that Samson, instead of getting overconfident after a long-awaited half-century, pressed the reset button. He played the next two deliveries after his fifty, as if he was just beginning his innings.
Samson was always known for the fact that his role had not just ended with the half-century; he had to consistently play his role till the very end.
Gautam Gambhir, the Indian head coach, also praised Samson’s miraculous innings; he pointed out that Samson never attempted to accelerate through the innings. Instead, he just kept playing his natural shots with conviction, and hence, he never needed to switch gears.
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