TimesofIndia.com in Kolkata: “Cosi, I don’t bat, but you let me bat first.”
Whenever India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak arranges for Sanju Samson to bat in the first over, the wicketkeeper-batsman politely questions the necessity. He was not part of the starting XI but the Indian team management ensured that he stayed tuned and Kotak kept reminding him how good he was. The attack remains sustained and purposeful, and even if there is no immediate chance, preparation remains at a high level.
From becoming India’s starting wicketkeeper to losing to Shubman Gill in the Asia Cup to reclaiming his place in the New Zealand series to seeing Ishan Kishan take his place in the World Cup, it has been a frustrating path for the 31-year-old. This memorable night for Samson was usually chaotic, but all that took a back seat when the right-hander knelt, spread his arms, looked at the sky and crossed his heart.
It was more of a relief than a celebration; more of a prayer than a triumphant grunt; it felt like a weight had finally been lifted off his shoulders. You feel more relaxed when your arms are open and your moist eyes tell a story. It takes the fewest words to convey the strongest message, and Samson had no choice. The past decade flashes before his eyes as he feeds photographers the perfect shot on the ground, even as thousands of people in the stands distract him with flashlights.
Those few seconds felt like a monk silently praying in thanksgiving, unfazed by the madness that erupted in this iconic venue. Even when the team members rushed out, there were only warm hugs. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav took off his cap to take his bow as an opener with a brilliant run-in under pressure. Sanju led India home with his steely 50-ball 97*. Every cricketer strives for moments like this. After witnessing what senior pros Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma did for the national team many times, Samson simply absorbed their lessons and applied them to the game.
“I think playing IPL for about 10 to 12 years and playing for the national team for the last 10 years, I didn’t play all the time but from the coaching bench, learning from the greats like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma and all the greats, I think it’s very important to watch and learn and understand what they are doing. I think that has really helped me. In my experience, I may have only played 50 or 60 games but I have seen around 100 Game by game, I see how the greatest players finish and how they change the game depending on the situation, and that means the world to me.
“I think from the day I started playing football, I started dreaming of playing for the national team. I think this is the day that I have been waiting for and I am very grateful, very grateful. I have been having a very special journey, there have been a lot of ups and downs. I have always doubted myself, always thought what if? Can I do it? But I have always believed and thank the almighty God for really blessing me today, so I am very happy,” Samson told the broadcaster.
There is a rich history of Indian cricket, 97 cricket tournaments and World Cup. The player who scored a memorable 97* in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka was on hand to applaud the player he has always supported for his 97* from the dugout. Gambhir was also unusually calm when the scores were won. The only time you saw him showing emotion was when the right-hander scored a half-century and raised his bat to the dressing room.
For India and Samson, the job was only half done at the time, but the coach’s face explained what it meant to the entire dressing room to see a player they’d always backed perform when it mattered most. The wicketkeeper-batsman came back fresh after scoring his first half-century in the last 13 innings and converted it into the biggest contribution by an Indian batsman in a T20I chase, surpassing Virat Kohli’s 82* against Australia in 2016. This is also India’s highest successful chase success rate in a T20I World Cup, surpassing their previous best of 173 against South Africa in 2014.
“I never thought I would do something special like this but I just focused on my role and took it one ball at a time and I’m so grateful. I think it’s one of the greatest days of my life,” an emotional Samson added.
Samson had never lasted till the end in a chase match in a T20I or IPL before this Eden Gardens special and the entire team will be delighted that it happened in the most important moment, the high-scoring virtual quarter-finals. Coach Gautam Gambhir, who has always backed Samson to succeed, praised the “world-class player” and hoped for a fresh start.
“He is a world-class player and we all know what a good player Sanju is. It’s all about supporting him. When the team needs him the most, today could also be the day that he shows his true potential. Hopefully this is when he starts playing. Hopefully there may be two games left,” Gambhir said.
Although Samson was operating in a zone pattern in a tight chase, he was in very good position and kept his shape even when trying to hit hard. Hitting coach Kotak revealed that they worked to ensure the right-hander had a solid batting foundation and made modifications to his initial trigger action that they believed would get him in position early. It was recognized that the imbalance in weight distribution between his feet needed to be addressed. Work on this has been ongoing since the England series, where well-coached short delivery led to his downfall.
Kotak explained the technical tweaks in very simple terms without revealing the fine print.
“I don’t want to get into details. But, yes, we did work on his initial moves a little bit because we just wanted to create a better foundation for him. There was no need to get too deep into his technical issues. He also felt like he was preparing a little early, which I think helped.
“In very simple terms, if you try to bat when you have a lot of weight on one leg, your base is going to be better compared to when you have the same weight on both legs. Obviously, your hands move faster. So that’s the problem. But Sanju is a guy who can do two to three different things. We’ve been talking about this since the England series almost a year ago. So it’s nothing new,” Kotak explained.
It was a night where talent unleashed its true potential. It was also a night where thousands in the stands and billions watching at home witnessed a hitting masterclass. A hitting masterclass from a player who is constantly reminded of his own lessons. However, the reminder that management sent to Samson, and then from Samson to the rest of the world, after the Eden special, will likely push the pause button.
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As he disappeared into the dressing room after the customary handshake, he knelt again and thanked Almighty God that TVs were still on the ground showing live celebration footage. However, the next few days of live streaming will be dominated by Samson Masterclasses.
