Mumbai: Opener Sanju Samson has been with the Indian T20 team for the last few years, including the 2024 T20 World Cup, when he was unable to make a place in the playing XI, but he lost his place after some poor performances. Given a chance to play three matches in this edition of the World Cup, the Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman has made a brilliant comeback after a poor start.
Indian team bowling coach Morne Morkel praised the 31-year-old right-handed batsman for his hard work, composure and maintaining hope as he produced a brilliant comeback with an unbeaten 97 in a do-or-die match against West Indies, sealing India’s place in the semi-finals.
“Sanju is a quality player. He is a guy who always works hard in the nets. And yes, I think every chance he got, he showed his class and his experience.
“He got his chance, and as a guy who has played a lot of games, he played well in an important game. From a coaching or mentor side, it was just to support him. However, he lost his place in the team.
“For him, it was always about being at the nets to make sure he got quality work. Because you never know what situation in a tournament, like we found ourselves in, can always come up. So credit to him for not losing hope. Keep working hard, keep growing in your strength. And then keep taking advantage of the opportunity. I think in professional sports, it’s all about being prepared. So you don’t have to prepare yourself, if I may say so. And yes, credit to him for staying calm and fighting in that difficult period and giving a solid performance for India,” Morkel said ahead of India’s semi-final against England at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
The former South African pace bowler rejected the suggestion that explosive opener Abhishek Sharma has lost confidence or that he is trying to change his game completely from aggression to a measured player.
“No, I think sometimes this game can be difficult, merciless for you. It was a similar situation with Sanju. Such moments come in your career.
“And it’s good growth for him, it’s good learning for him. For a young player who is making his mark in international cricket, it will only help him in Indian cricket in the future. But Abhishek, coming back to his form, the way he plays, one or two shots can give him that rhythm, can give him that confidence back. And that, for me, is a good thing. He is not a player who is too worried about technique. Generally, that’s how It takes a lot of time for players to gain confidence.
“So like I said, tomorrow is a new page for him. A chance to do well. Scored a century against England a while ago. So for him, it’s just watching those little videos and looking at his feel-good moments and building a blueprint and knowing that he’ll start from zero tomorrow. It’s a new opportunity for him and to feed him,” Morkel said.
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