Sanju Samson can finally say it: he is in a World Cup final. On Sunday in Ahmedabad, India’s in-form opener will walk out against New Zealand knowing his runs have carried the holders back to the last match of the tournament.
“It means one of the best moments in my life,” Samson said, almost sheepishly, after his 89 in the semi-final against England at Wankhede. “I’m very grateful for that.”
The numbers underline the sentiment. Samson’s unbeaten 97 hauled India past West Indies in the quarter-final; three days later he tore into England, picking up a second successive Player-of-the-Match award. In both games he looked calm, almost detached from the chaos around him.
“I have been playing this format for a very long time. I played around 300 or 400 T20s (328). I played from one to six. I have captained the franchise. So I have the experience of knowing what does a team demand at the moment and what is my exact role in this XI. So that clarity definitely helps you to score runs the way you want to.”
Key facts first, then. India became the first reigning champions to reach the final of the next edition; Samson now averages 63.20 for the competition; and the top three – Abhishek Sharma, Samson and Ishan Kishan – are scoring at nearly ten an over in the powerplay. The simple plan, Samson said, is to keep swinging.
“The game is won and lost in the powerplay,” he explained. “So once you have seen three or four balls you start to attack like Abhishek has been doing, like how Ishan and myself are doing. … You play according to what the team wants and, if it is your day, carry the team.”
Samson’s surge has impressed opponents and team-mates alike. Faf du Plessis, on TV duty, called it an “unbelievable knock”, while former India coach Anil Kumble noticed a subtle adjustment: “It was great to see him looking to hit straight again.”
England had banked on Jofra Archer troubling Samson with pace and bounce, yet the Kerala batter defused the threat early, upper-cutting the second ball he faced for four and forcing Jos Buttler to spread the field sooner than planned. A short ball plan can work on the Wankhede strip, but only if the batter mis-times; Samson rarely did.
“Last match was all about taking the team along,” he said of the West Indies chase. “This game was completely different. When you are batting first in Wankhede you know no score is enough. So, after I got a start, I wanted to capitalise and hit as many sixes and fours as possible.”
The path here has not been a straight line. Six months ago, during the Asia Cup, Samson slid down the order after a lean patch and technical questions. In the home series against New Zealand he looked even more scratchy. Kishan opened the first two World Cup matches, only for the management to restore Samson when Abhishek stuttered. Samson admits the period was “very, very challenging”.
“I definitely wanted to come and do what I’m trying to do now,” he said, pausing, possibly replaying the doubts that floated around then. “But you keep working, you trust the process, and you remember why you love batting.”
Those who have tracked him since his teenage years talk less about technique and more about rhythm. When Samson is in tune, he drives down the ground, wrists relaxed, weight balanced. The straight bat was missing in the Asia Cup; it is back this week, as Kumble noted.
Strategically, India have built depth to allow the top three freedom. Hardik Pandya at six and Ravindra Jadeja at seven mean risks in the first ten overs feel acceptable. The downside, as Samson concedes, is that the approach can look reckless if early wickets tumble. “Sometimes you end on the negative side of the result and sometimes you win,” he shrugged.
For now, it is the winning side of the ledger, and a medal dangles within reach. Asked if he had allowed himself to imagine lifting the trophy, Samson smiled. “One more match,” he said. “Let’s talk after that.”
