T20 World Cup 2026 | Gautam Gambhir hopes Sanju Samson builds on his career-defining knock

Kolkata: India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Sunday lavished praise on Sanju Samson for finally showing his potential on the biggest stage but exhorted the mercurial wicketkeeper-batter to produce more such match-winning knocks that his talent merits.

Often criticised for his inconsistencies, Samson showed what a dangerous player he is with an unbeaten 97 off 50 balls to help India chase down a competitive target of 196 against the West Indies in a must-win Super Eights game at the Eden Gardens.    

“He is a world-class player, we all know how good a player Sanju is,” said a delighted Gambhir. “And it was all about backing him. And then when the team needed him the most, obviously today was a day where he probably showed his true potential as well. And hopefully, this is a time for him to kick off and probably two more games to go, hopefully.”

While Samson ended up becoming the toast of the country on Sunday, it was not too long ago he was criticised heavily for a poor performance in the five-match series against New Zealand that eventually saw him lose his spot in the playing XI to Ishan Kishan. When asked what the management did to keep him motivated during the period of lull, Gambhir said they gave him time off to rejuvenate.

“We always knew the talent that Sanju had. Three T20 hundreds, not many people have it, so we always knew that obviously he had a tough series against New Zealand, so sometimes it’s important to give him a break as well, because you want to get the guy off that pressure situation as well. And we always knew that whenever we need him in the World Cup game, he’ll come and deliver it for us. 

“And exactly against Zimbabwe he delivered it for us. We got a start that we wanted in the first three overs. And today, again, from where he left against Zimbabwe, he showcased his talent. And this is what we expect from Sanju to do more consistently.”

Next up for India in the semifinals at the Wankhede Stadium is England, and Gambhir felt India needed to play the perfect game to stop the Three Lions’ unbeaten run. “They’re a world-class team, they’re a quality team, they’ve got a lot of quality players as well, and we all know that Wankhede is a tough venue. It’s another opportunity to do something special for the team and for the country as well. Hopefully, we play our best game.”