First 97 and now 89 in the semi-finals… Where matters are big, Sanju Samson stands

Mumbai: Till a few matches ago, Sanju Samson was not even being made a part of the playing eleven. Suddenly he has become the biggest match winner of the team. First, by scoring an unbeaten 97 runs against West Indies, he took India to the semi-finals and after that, by playing a brilliant inning of 89 runs in the semi-finals last night against England, he gave India the final entry for the fourth time.

Sanju Samson said that he is happy that he contributed in getting India a place in the finals to be held in Ahmedabad. Samson told reporters after the seven-run win against England:

It feels great and it is a feeling of relief. I’ve actually been trying to do something like this for my country for a few years. I was waiting with full patience, hard practice and being mentally strong. Of course I am happy, but I feel that our work is not finished yet. We still have to take one step further and if we are successful in that then everything will become worthwhile. Another match winning innings would be really nice.

Samson scored 89 runs in just 42 balls with seven sixes and eight fours, helping India score 253 runs for seven wickets. The right-handed batsman credited his unbeaten inning of 97 runs against West Indies in Kolkata for maintaining his rhythm. He said:

The previous innings definitely played an important role in this innings. I was hitting the ball with very good timing and making good decisions. I thought that if you are in form, you should contribute for your team in this match also. This is truly one of the best moments of my life.

Samson said that the experience of playing many T20 matches including IPL has made him mature, he said, ‘I have been playing in this format for a long time. I must have played around 300 or 400 (329) T-20 matches. I have played from number one to number six. I have also captained a franchise. So I know what the team needs at what time and what is my exact role at this level. This clarity definitely helps in scoring runs in the desired manner.