T20 WC: Gambhir says comparing Samson and Yuvraj ‘unfair,’ lauds keeper’s ‘courage and character’
Ahmedabad: Head coach Gautam Gambhir heaped praise on Sanju Samson for his match-winning exploits in India’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup victory, calling his resilience and performance ‘special’ and highlighting the character the wicketkeeper-batter displayed under pressure.
Asked about Samson winning the Player of the Tournament award and whether it brought a sense of deja vu to India’s 2011 World Cup heroics of Yuvraj Singh, Gambhir noted, “Look, it’s not fair to compare two people. I think Sanju, what he’s done… see, again, Sanju did that three in a row, three in a row doing it and especially after coming back from the kind of form that he was in. You know, it takes so much of character and courage where you know that maybe your career is on the line.”
He emphasised that Samson’s journey during the tournament was unique. “Even if the captain and I can show as much faith, trust, everything in him, deep inside you know that obviously you didn’t have a great series against New Zealand before the start of the World Cup, and then you didn’t start on the playing level during the World Cup. Then making a comeback like that and playing those kinds of innings with that kind of, what, strike rate or with that kind of flamboyance… You need to have a special player, you need to be a special talent,” Gambhir noted.
The 2011 World Cup-winner praised Samson’s approach to pressure. “It was never about doubting his talent. He just had to go out there and be as free as he wanted to be. That is what he has shown to everyone. When you start believing in yourself, I think nothing matters to you apart from that,” he said.
Samson’s three consecutive match-winning innings, including a scintillating 89 in the final against New Zealand, played a pivotal role in India becoming the first team to retain the Men’s T20 World Cup title.
Gambhir concluded with a message for the future, saying, “Hopefully he can kick off from here and achieve a lot of great things. I think he deserves a lot more than actually he’s got till now. There was never any doubt about his talent, and this is just the beginning of a remarkable journey.”