Sanju Samson Archives

Sanju Samson eyes ‘one more’ big knock in T20 World Cup final

Opener Sanju Samson said on Thursday he wants “one more” match-winning knock to enable India to defend the T20 World Cup, after his 89 helped edge England in a thrilling semi-final.

India rode on Samson’s 42-ball innings to post a mammoth 253-7, a total that England nearly chased down at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium, finishing on 246-7.

Jacob Bethell’s brilliant 105 kept England in the hunt till the last over before Harry Brook’s team fell short by seven runs and India marched into their fourth final in the T20 World Cup.

India will face New Zealand in Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad as they attempt to become the first team to retain the trophy and the first to win it on home soil. They could also become the first team to win the title three times.

Sanju Samson has been key to putting pre-tournament favourites India in this position after he struck form with an unbeaten 97 in a winner-takes-all contest against the West Indies on Sunday.

He kept up his form in the semi-final and struck eight fours and seven sixes to put India in the driver’s seat.

“It feels really great. I have been actually trying to do something like this for my country for a few years,” player of the match Samson said after the match against England.

“So definitely I should be very grateful, but I kind of feel that we have one more step to go.

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“If we do that, then I think all the work, everything was worth it. So I think that one more innings should be really good.”

The 31-year-old Samson has been in and out of the Indian team and played just one group match against Namibia, when Abhishek Sharma was out with illness.

India brought back Samson in their Super Eights match against Zimbabwe to break up the all-left-handed opening partnership of Abhishek and Ishan Kishan, and he has not looked back since.

Samson, who made his debut in 2015, has played just 61 T20 matches for India.

Samson said the struggle to cement a place in the Indian team and the frustrations that came with it were tough, but he shut out the noise by staying off social media.

“I wanted to make an impact and get into the XI of the World Cup here,” said Samson.

“The people whom I love were with me. And I closed all my windows. I shut down my phone. I was not on social media.

“I am still not on social media. So less noise, fewer people interacting with me. So I think that really helped me to focus.”

READ: Babar Azam, Naseem Shah added to Lahore Whites squad for National T20 Cup

Sunil Gavaskar backs THIS player for India’s Asia Cup XI spot

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has thrown his weight behind wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, insisting that he should feature in the starting XI for the ACC Asia Cup 2025 rather than remain in the reserves.

Speaking to Indian media on Friday, Gavaskar said excluding a player of Samson’s calibre would be a mistake, stressing his ability to adapt across the batting order.

“If you include Sanju Samson in the core squad, then you can’t have him sitting in the reserves,” Gavaskar said. “He’s someone who can bat at number three if needed, or even drop down the order as a finisher.”

The legendary opener acknowledged that India also has options in Jitesh Sharma, who impressed during the latest IPL season, but called it a “good headache” for the selectors.

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“My feeling is that Samson might get the nod ahead of Jitesh for the first couple of games, and then it depends on his form for the rest of the tournament,” Sunil Gavaskar predicted.

He also suggested that the management could experiment with Samson at number three, leaving Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya to provide finishing power in the middle and lower order.

India will begin their Asia Cup campaign on September 10 against the UAE in Dubai, before facing arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14. Their final group-stage fixture will be against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.

India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad

Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson.

READ: Babar Azam named in PCB’s red-ball training camp for South Africa series

Sanju Samson, Tilak Varma smash tons as India wrap up South Africa series win

JOHANNESBURG: Sanju Samson and Tilak Varma struck unbeaten centuries as India thumped South Africa by 135 runs in the fourth T20I at The Wanderers Stadium to clinch the series 3-1 on Friday.

After opting to bat first, India posted a massive total of 283 runs at the loss of only one wicket courtesy of Samson and Varma’s unbeaten 210-run stand for the second wicket.

Varma joined Samson after the fall of Abhishek Sharma, who played a quick cameo of 36 runs from 18 balls.

Samson and Varma turned the game on its head with their belligerent hitting during their record stand, which is India’s highest partnership for any wicket in T20I cricket.

Varma scored 120* off only 47 balls which featured 10 sixes and nine boundaries, while Samson struck 109 off 56 with the help of six fours and nine sixes.

In response, South Africa were bundled for a meagre 148 runs in 18.2 overs against a ruthless bowling attack of India.

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Arshdeep Singh led the attack for India as he took three quick wickets to leave South Africa struggling at 10-4 at the end of the third over. He returned with figures of 3-20.

Meanwhile, Varun Chakravarthy and Axar Patel took two wickets each. The remaining three wickets were shared between Hardik Pandya, Ramandeep Singh and Ravi Bishnoi.

For South Africa, Tristan Stubbs played a gutsy 43-run knock from 29 balls, featuring three boundaries and two sixes.

David Miller scored 36 off 27, while Marco Jansen remained unbeaten on 29 off 12, laced with two fours and three sixes.

South Africa Playing XI: Ryan Rickelton, Reeza Hendricks, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen (wk), David Miller, Marco Jansen, Andile Simelane, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Lutho Sipamla

India Playing XI: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Ramandeep Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Varun Chakravarthy

READ: Champions Trophy: ICC seeks explanation from India over Pakistan tour refusal

Sanju Samson, spinners steer India to victory over South Africa

DURBAN: Spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Ravi Bishnoi took three wickets each after Sanju Samson’s century to help India defeat South Africa in the first T20I of the four-match series here on Friday.

Chasing a target of 203, South Africa were bundled for 141 in 17.5 overs.

The hosts had an unwanted start to the run-chase as they lost skipper Aiden Markram (8) in the first over. They lost two more wickets inside the powerplay before Heinrich Klaasen (25) and David Miller (18) stitched a 42-run partnership to stabilize the innings.

However, Chakravarthy dismissed both batters in the same over to diminish all hopes of South Africa, leaving them struggling at 87-5 inside 12 overs.

Bishnoi also took two wickets in the next over to further increase South Africa’s troubles.

Gerald Coetzee played a cameo of 23 runs from 11 balls before India bundle South Africa for 141, with Chakravarthy and Bishnoi leading the bowling attack.

Avesh Khan also chipped in with two wickets, while Arshdeep Singh bagged one.

Earlier, South Africa opted to field first and drew first blood with Gerald Coetzee taking the wicket of Abhishek Sharma (7).

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However, Sanju Samson knitted a quick partnership of 66 runs from 37 runs with the captain Suryakumar Yadav (21). Patrick Kruger got rid of Yadav, bringing out Tilak Varma to the crease.

Samson and Varma added 77 runs for the third wicket from only 34 balls to push the team’s total to 167 inside 15 overs. However, both batters fell in quick succession to leave India struggling.

Varma scored 33 runs off 18 balls before falling prey to Keshav Maharaj, while Samson was dismissed by Nqabayomzi Peter in the next over.

Samson top-scored with a blistering 107-run knock from 50 balls, laced with seven boundaries and ten sixes.

South Africa bowlers did not allow India to recover from this double blow as the visitors slipped from 167-2 to 202-8 with the eighth wicket falling off the last ball of the innings.

Coetzee led the bowling attack of South Africa with the figures of 3-37, while Maharaj, Peter, Kruger and Marco Jansen bagged one wicket each.

India Playing XI: Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Avesh Khan, Varun Chakravarthy

South Africa Playing XI: Ryan Rickelton, Aiden Markram (c), Tristan Stubbs, Heinrich Klaasen, David Miller, Patrick Kruger, Marco Jansen, Andile Simelane, Gerald Coetzee, Keshav Maharaj, Nqabayomzi Peter

READ: India not to travel to Pakistan for Champions Trophy: reports

Indian fans slam Sanju Samson over poor performance in Sri Lanka series

India batter Sanju Samson once again failed to grab the opportunity as he got his second consecutive duck against Sri Lanka in the third and final T20 International at Pallekele on Tuesday.

The wicketkeeper batter, who came at No. 3, failed to impress with the bat after being dismissed without opening his run account.

He faced three deliveries before being caught by Wanindu Hasaranga off Chamindu Wickramasinghe.

Sanju Samson, who was not given a chance in the first game of the three-match series, was included in the team for the second encounter in place of Shubman Gill but he departed for a golden duck.

Sanju Samson, who scored 334 runs in 29 T20 Internationals so far, has already been ignored for the three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka starting in Colombo from August 2.

Indian fans took a jibe at Sanju Samson as some of them reckoned that his international career is over.

“That could be the end for Sanju Samson international career in t20s I think,” a netizen wrote.

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Another said, “This guy always proves his fans are wrong. Won’t be making any tweets to support him. There’s a lot of talent in Indian Cricket at the moment, it’s better to give them chances. Goodbye Sanju Samson!!”

“From Sanju’s perspective, this is not the first time he has gone through it? I don’t think it will be the last time he will go through it as a player.”, wrote another.

India came from behind to edge Sri Lanka in a super-over thriller and swept the three-match T20I series 3-0.

The last T20I went right down to the wire as skipper Suryakumar Yadav forced a super-over while defending six runs in the final over.

Washington Sundar bowled the super over for India and he leaked away just two runs before claiming back-to-back wickets to curtail Sri Lanka on a skimpy total.

Set to chase just three, Suryakumar Yadav hit Maheesh Theekshana on the first delivery to seal an astonishing victory for his side.

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