India coach Gautam Gambhir has praised Sanju Samson for his ability to dominate matches from the start, especially during the Powerplay. Samson’s explosive performances were crucial in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, where he smashed vital half-centuries in both the semifinal and final, helping India secure their record third title. In the final against New Zealand, Samson and Abhishek Sharma combined to score 98 runs, putting India firmly in control.

“Sanju’s abilities have never been in question. His talent and power-hitting are undeniable. Once he gets going, he can decide a match within the first six overs,” Gambhir told Jio Star.

Samson was omitted from India’s playing XI earlier after a poor run in the series against New Zealand. However, when he was given a chance in the must-win match against Zimbabwe, he made an immediate impact, scoring a brisk 24 off just 15 deliveries.

He carried that form, scoring 97 not out against the West Indies, followed by back-to-back scores of 89 against England and New Zealand, consistently providing India with rapid starts.

“I told him while we were training in the gym. We were working out together, and I just said, ‘You’ll be playing against Zimbabwe.’ He replied, ‘Let it come.’ That’s the kind of easygoing conversation we had. It’s not the usual head coach-player dynamic,” he added.

Before Samson returned, India’s top order featured three left-handed batters, Ishan Kishan, Abhishek Sharma, and Tilak Varma. Gambhir clarified that Samson’s selection was not about breaking the left-hand combination but about boosting the team’s firepower.

“I’m aware people might think we wanted to change the three left-handers, but that wasn’t the case. We simply wanted to add more firepower, because over the past year and a half, our approach has been to play as aggressively,” he mentioned.

“Bringing Sanju in wasn’t about countering the off-spinner at the other end. It was about adding extra firepower at the top and being more aggressive during the first six overs.”

Abhishek had a tough start to the tournament with three ducks but recovered strongly, scoring two half-centuries, including a crucial one in the final.

“I’ve been through tougher times than him, back in 2014 during the IPL, when I scored three ducks in a row and then another in the fourth game. I just told him that people will focus on your scores and question your form, but really, you’re not out of form. You’re just short of runs,” he explained.

“You can only truly assess your form after facing 20 to 30 balls, and he hasn’t even reached 20. My advice to him was simply to go out in the next game and play even more aggressively than he did before.

“There was never any doubt about Abhishek. Honestly, we had complete faith and trust in everyone,” he concluded.

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