Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has backed Sanju Samson to be a regular in India’s white-ball squads after the India opener dragged the Men in Blue to victory over the West Indies on Sunday in a Super 8 clash, thus ensuring a spot for Suryakumar Yadav’s men in the semi-finals. While wickets fell at regular intervals, Samson steered India’s record chase of 196 with an unbeaten 97 off 50 balls.
Samson’s score against the West Indies on Sunday at ’s Eden Gardens is now the highest score by an Indian batter while chasing in a T20 World Cup. It was his first fifty in 13 innings.
“He’s a very good player. He should consistently play for India in white-ball cricket — 100 per cent. It was a virtual quarterfinal, and to be 97 not out shows his quality. He’s that sort of a player… when he gets in, he will hurt the opposition,” Ganguly said in an interview with new agency Press Trust of India on the sidelines of the CII West Bengal’s Annual Meeting & Conference here.
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“He (Samson) played to the situation, and that was important. What it teaches all of us is that the same boy who, in the last six months, could not find his place in the team — whether it was Ishan Kishan opening or somebody else coming in. Just before the World Cup, I used to read headlines saying ‘Sanju fails again’, ‘he should not deserve a place’, ‘India has so much talent, why is not in the side?’ — and yet here is a boy in a quarterfinal game, gets 97 not out and takes you to the semifinal,” Ganguly added.
Ganguly also cautioned ’s men against dropping their guard in the semi-finals at the Wankhede Stadium.
“England will be a stronger opposition than the West Indies. They have to play just like they won yesterday,” the Indian cricket team legend added.
