Sanju Samson delivered one of the defining innings of this T20 World Cup, guiding India to a tense but ultimately comfortable chase of 196 against West Indies and securing their place in the last four of the tournament. With senior openers Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan both falling cheaply, it was Samson who steadied the ship and then accelerated at precisely the right moments — drawing effusive praise from analysts and former cricketers on Pakistan.
For veteran commentator and former Pakistan batsman Basit Ali, the innings triggered a comparison to one of cricket’s all-time greats.
“You could see a bit of Virat Kohli in his batting — how to pick runs off different bowlers — and he’s got power too.” Speaking on his YouTube channel CricketInsight with Basit Ali, the former batsman broke down exactly what set Samson apart from the rest of India’s batting lineup on the night.
“Sanju was given a clear plan, and even during the powerplay, he was the one scoring the most. The way Sanju batted, I was making a lot of mental notes thinking, ‘Man, this guy’s a chase master.’ We usually say that about Virat Kohli, but today, Kohli wasn’t even in the match.”
Basit Ali was particularly impressed by Samson’s tactical intelligence at the crease. “What I saw in Sanju was that he was calculating exactly which bowler to target and when — when to shift gears while batting, when to go full turbo in certain areas. He did both perfectly.”
Basit Ali also put the innings into the context of Samson’s difficult journey back into the Indian setup, noting that the wicketkeeper-batsman had spent long stretches on the fringes of the squad and had only recently been reinstated as an opener.
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“That innings you played is worth around 97 or 125 runs. And you played that innings right when both our power hitters who take advantage of the powerplay — Abhishek and Ishan Kishan, both left-handers — were out. After that, the way you played didn’t let us feel their absence at all.”
Former Pakistan captain and cricket analyst Mohammad Hafeez, speaking on Tapmad, called it less as an individual display and more as a study in selfless, team-first cricket.
“Sanju never really tried or made an effort to reach a personal milestone. He wasn’t thinking ‘for me, 100 is everything.’ For him, winning the game was everything.”
Sanju Samson in action. (Express photo by Partha Paul)
He pointed out that no other India batter deviated from the team’s cause in pursuit of personal glory.
“If you look at teams or players who are intellectually honest, those are the ones that are improving. None of the other players switched their cause for their own. No one thought, ‘Let me try to stand out somehow and outshine Sanju Samson.’ It’s about thinking as a team, not as one, two, or five individuals — as a whole team thinking for a cause. And that cause is to win the game for your country.”
Hafeez also highlighted one of the most striking aspects of Samson’s knock: the way he seamlessly adjusted his approach mid-innings, moving from aggressive stroke-play to an anchoring role before accelerating again.
“At first he was aggressive. Then, maybe he got a message or decided to anchor the innings, so he changed his approach and adjusted his game. The way he played, you never saw any greed in him trying to get runs or reach some personal milestone — because the biggest milestone for a player is to win the match for their country.”
South Africa and India, Basit Ali predicted, could well be on course for a blockbuster final in Ahmedabad.
