'World-class player': Gautam Gambhir praises Sanju Samson after WI win
What's the story
Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has backed wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson after his stellar performance against the West Indies in the ICC T20 World Cup. Samson scored a match-winning 97* off 50 balls. "He's a world-class player, we all know how good a player Sanju is," Gambhir said after the game. "It was all about backing him." Notably, Samson has played just three of India's seven matches in this tiur
Performance analysis
Gambhir impressed with Samson's control
Gambhir was particularly impressed with the control shown by Samson during his innings. He said, "I actually felt that he never accelerated the innings," adding that it was all about normal cricketing shots. Gambhir had faith in Samson's potential to deliver when it mattered most in World Cup games. Notably, Samson's 97* is now the 2nd-highest score for India in ICC T20 World Cup history. He surpassed Rohit Sharma's 92 against Australia in 2024.
Bowling strategy
Coach lauds India's bowling powerplay
Gambhir also praised India's bowling powerplay, which only conceded 45 runs in the first six overs. He said, "I thought we started off really well, especially when you play this kind of a game of this magnitude." The coach credited Arshdeep Singh and Hardik Pandya for their excellent start in the first three overs and Axar Patel for his two overs during the powerplay.
Coaching philosophy
Gambhir dismisses idea of 'peaking at the right time'
When asked if India is peaking at the right time, Gambhir dismissed the idea. He said, "You gotta win every game that you represent your country. There is nothing like peaking at the right time." The coach also stressed on backing instincts over data in cricket, saying "I don't believe in data, honestly. I've never seen the data."
Team dynamics
On Tilak Varma's role from No. 5
Gambhir also spoke about batting roles, citing Tilak Varma's impressive performance from No. 5 to maintain India's required run-rate. He said, "He's batted out of his position." The coach stressed that small contributions in a team sport like cricket are just as important as big ones, saying "For me, I think Shivam's... Those two boundaries are as important as Sanju's 97."