Sanju Samson is giving what is being described as the highlight of his career in international cricket at Eden Gardens, as India chased 195 against West Indies in what can be termed as a virtual quarter final in the T20 world cup. The stakes were not any higher with a semifinal loss in Kolkata in 2016 still being in the memory. India had been pursuing their largest T20 World Cup record, and the stress was compounded because Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav collapsed at important times.
In the crisis, Samson held his own. Poised, cool, self-possessed, he opened the innings with a seasoned superiority which was immeasurable. Blending grace with restrained violence he incorporated both timing and smart movement with blast to enable India not to be left behind. Samson never panicked, whipping the chase with deftness and grace to the finish line although men were falling all about him.
Cricketing greats were thrilled with the knock and Ravi Shastri was not an exception. Terming it as a special of Sanju, Shastri praised his calmness in a knockout situation and how he never seemed to hurry though the stakes were increasing and the crowd cheering.
Samson has enjoyed great talent over the years that has never been questioned, but some critics raised concerns regarding some inconsistency. The fact that his fanbase is enormous reflected through social media campaigns that require more opportunities, but defining performances on the largest stage were hard to nail down. This night he quieted down questioners. Samson re-focussed, as Dinesh Karthik had noted, even after he had covered his half-century, his eye on every ball so well.
It was not only a match winning blow but also a statement innings which could have secured the legacy of Samson in the Indian cricketing history.
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