After leading India to their third T20 World Cup win and a first as head coach, Gautam Gambhir picked Sanju Samson’s commanding Super 8 return against the West Indies as the pivotal moment in their run to lifting the title.
Beating New Zealand by 96 runs in the final in Ahmedabad last Sunday, Gambhir became the first man to win the T20 World Cup both as player and coach. Gambhir was India’s leading run-getter and the highest scorer in the final of the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2007.
Reflecting on what it means to win the World Cup as a head coach, Gambhir told on JioHotstar: “I could have never thought about winning a World Cup as a coach. I never thought I would get the opportunity or privilege to be the head coach of the Indian team because it’s an absolute privilege to again wear the India jersey or do something special for the country.”
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Despit a patchy campaign in the group stages and the initial matches in the Super 8s, including a defeat to South Africa, the emphasis on maintaining the high risk-high reward mantra was vital for Gambhir.
“I think more than the win, it was the way the boys adapted to the ideology and philosophy of being high-risk, high-reward. From day one, I had a very strong belief that the T20 format is about impact. It’s not about milestones or individual performances. It’s about going out there and creating an impact, whether it’s on the field, with the ball or with the bat,” Gambhir said.
However, India’s campaign would not receive a necessary upshot until Samson’s return to the top of the order, peaking with a sensational 97 not out in a must-win game against the West Indies in the Super 8s in Kolkata. Gambhir picked the Kerala opener’s knock at the Eden Gardens as the defining moment of India’s tournament. Samson would then produce back-to-back scores of 89 in the semi-final and final and be adjudged the Player of the Tournament, playing only five matches.
“It’s very difficult to say, but I still believe that Sanju’s 97 against West Indies was the turning point of this campaign. It was a virtual quarter-final. Chasing 195 in a World Cup game is never easy, irrespective of the ground,” Gambhir remarked.
“With the ease and calmness with which he batted, it gave us a lot of confidence in the group that now we were probably on the right track. When Sanju got going and the way Ishan Kishan batted at number three, a lot of things actually started taking shape,” Gambhir added.
