Sourav Ganguly urged the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee to retain Sanju Samson in India’s ODI and T20 teams after his match-winning 97* off 50 balls against West Indies in the T20 World Cup.
Sourav Ganguly backed Sanju Samson to become a regular in India’s white-ball teams after his match-winning 97* against the West Indies on March 1. He urged the Ajit Agarkar-led selection panel to retain the opener in both ODI and T20 formats.
Samson’s 50-ball 97 took India in a chase of 196 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata. He hit 12 fours and 4 sixes. India reached the target in 19.2 overs with 5 wickets in hand to seal a semi-final spot.
Ganguly praised the 31-year-old for adapting to the match situation and putting pressure on the opposition. The former captain also pointed to Samson’s difficult phase in the last 6 months.
“Outstanding. He’s a very good player. He should consistently play for India in the white-ball. You know, when he gets in, he’ll hurt the opposition. He played to the situation which is important,” Ganguly was quoted as saying by India Today.
“What it teaches all of us is that the same boy could not find in the last six months, could not find his place in the team, either there was Ishan Kishan opening or somebody else coming in. Just before the World Cup, I used to go through media headlines that said Sanju fails again, he should not be deserving a place in the side, India has so much talent, why is not Shubman Gill in the side and yet here is a boy in a quarterfinal game, gets 97 and takes you to the semifinal,” said Ganguly.
India will face England in the second semi-final on Thursday, March 5, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
This article follows WicketWatcher’s editorial standards. Learn more in our Editorial Policy or report an issue via our Corrections Policy.