Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir recently praised wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson for his outstanding performance in T20 internationals, emphasizing that Samson’s success is a result of his own hard work and talent. Samson, who has been in exceptional form, scored consecutive centuries in T20Is, making a strong statement following the retirements of Indian cricket icons Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja. Although Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav have shown faith in Samson, especially after his inconsistent outings in Zimbabwe and the early matches against Bangladesh, Gambhir insists that the credit lies with Samson himself.
Speaking at a press conference in Mumbai, Gambhir downplayed his role in Samson’s resurgence, saying, “It has nothing to do with me. It’s all his ability and hard work. My role was simply to give him the right position and back him up. What he’s doing now for Indian cricket is just the beginning. Hopefully, he can maintain this level of performance.”
Samson’s standout performance came with a blistering 40-ball century against Bangladesh in the final T20I, and he continued his red-hot form with another impressive hundred on the South Africa tour. In the first T20I against South Africa, he scored 107 off just 50 balls with a strike rate of 214.00, hitting seven fours and 10 sixes. Samson’s knock provided much-needed stability as India lost wickets at the other end.
Gambhir also highlighted the positive signs for Indian cricket, with emerging young players delivering impressive performances. “The encouraging thing is that some young players are stepping up, which is always good for the future of Indian cricket,” he said.
In the ongoing series, India and South Africa are tied at 1-1, with South Africa winning the second T20 by three wickets, thanks to Tristan Stubbs’ patient 47 not out off 41 balls. India had earlier claimed victory in the first T20I by 61 runs in Durban. The series will continue with the third match scheduled for Wednesday in Centurion.
