Sanju Samson needed ten years to play an innings like this. His unbeaten 97 against West Indies did not just power India into the T20 World Cup semi-finals — it completed a story that began long before Gautam Gambhir ever picked up a coaching clipboard. Because behind this knock was not just talent. It was a promise, a philosophy, and one coach who never stopped believing.
The Coach Who Believed Before It Was His Job
Even before Gambhir became India’s head coach, he had already made up his mind about Sanju Samson. During his years as a commentator for Star Sports, Gambhir repeatedly called Samson India’s best wicketkeeper-batter — and on some occasions, simply the best batter in the country.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra, who has played alongside Gambhir, recalled that conviction clearly. “Gauti has always rated him high. He used to tell us he’s the best wicketkeeper batter — forget wicketkeeper — he’s the best batter in the country,” Chopra said. That opinion never wavered, even as selectors looked elsewhere for years.
The ’21 Ducks’ Promise That Changed Everything
When Gambhir eventually became head coach, his belief translated into action. Samson, speaking to former spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, revealed a conversation that reframed his entire mindset.
After a string of low scores, Samson approached Gambhir feeling the familiar weight of a cricketer living on borrowed time. Gambhir’s response, however, was anything but conventional. “I said, ‘After a long time, I got a chance, but I failed to capitalise’. He said, ‘So what? I’ll drop you if you register 21 ducks‘,” Samson recalled. That assurance arrived at precisely the right moment. Within months, Samson became the only Indian batter to score consecutive T20I centuries, achieving the feat against South Africa in November 2024.
Also Read: ‘I’ll Drop You After 21 Ducks’: Gambhir’s Blunt Words Changed Sanju Samson Forever
A World Cup Journey That Nearly Did Not Happen
Despite all that progress, Samson almost missed his biggest stage. He was benched for India’s tournament opener against the USA. Furthermore, after a brief recall when Abhishek Sharma fell ill before the Namibia game, he was dropped again once Abhishek recovered for the Pakistan fixture.
India’s loss to South Africa, therefore, became the unlikely turning point. Samson returned, and in 15 balls against Zimbabwe — two sixes, a four — he ensured India lost no wicket in the first two overs for the first time that tournament. It was brief. Consequently, it was decisive.
The 97 That Rewrote India’s Chase History
Against West Indies, with India needing a record 196 to qualify for the semi-finals, Samson anchored the chase with striking composure. His unbeaten 97 — a number loaded with significance in Indian cricket — carried India to a five-wicket win.
Before this knock, a telling stat had gone viral after India’s defeat to South Africa: India had never successfully chased 160-plus at T20 World Cups without Virat Kohli. Samson did not just break that sequence. He obliterated it, against a target 36 runs higher.
Gambhir, watching from the dugout, noted something most people missed. “I actually felt that he never accelerated the innings. It was just very normal cricketing shots, and I never saw him muscling the ball,” the coach said. That, in four lines, is what elite talent looks like when it finally stops carrying doubt.
The fist-bump between the two men as Samson returned against Zimbabwe, and the warm embrace after the West Indies win, said everything neither needed to put into words. Some returns on investment take ten years. This one was worth every single day.
Also Read: Sanju Samson’s Unbeaten 97 Breaks Kohli’s Record and Sends India Into T20 World Cup Semis
