Unfazed by ’21 Ducks’, Gautam Gambhir Uplifts a Dismayed Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson, a skilled cricketer, has seen inconsistent performances hindering his regular inclusion in India’s white-ball squads. It wasn’t until Gautam Gambhir joined as the head coach that Samson was given a fair shot to prove himself in the T20I side. Alongside Gambhir’s coaching and under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav, Samson was given the opportunity to open the batting in T20 alongside Abhishek Sharma.

The change didn’t lead to immediate success during the series against Sri Lanka, but thereafter, Samson saw a significant improvement in his performances in games against Bangladesh and South Africa, hitting three centuries.

Samson opened up about his experiences in a candid conversation with Ravichandran Ashwin on the latter’s YouTube channel. He discussed feeling disheartened with his poor performance against Sri Lanka and how Gambhir’s belief in him helped lift his game. He also spoke about a conversation he had with Suryakumar Yadav about his chances of playing in the T20I squad. Yadav had promised Samson he’d get to open in seven games, a promise that greatly boosted his confidence.

Surprisingly, Gambhir’s reassurance came in the form of a promise that Samson would only be dropped if he scored 21 ducks. This shows the immense confidence the coach had in the right-handed batter.

As of now, Samson has played 42 T20Is for India, scoring 861 runs at an average of 25.32 and a strike rate of 152.38. He has three centuries and two fifties to his name in international T20Is.

Samson admitted to Ashwin that the inconsistent inclusions in the team had frustrated him, but everything changed for the better after Gambhir and Yadav’s arrival. Despite struggling in India’s last T20I series against England, particularly against the short-ball, Samson remains hopeful about his place in the team. He believes that different people have different journeys, and he is no exception.