Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 4 (ANI): Ahead of India's semifinal clash against England in the ICC T20 World Cup, Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel hailed opener Sanju Samson for his masterclass versus West Indies in a virtual quarterfinal, lauding how the batter did not lose hope and kept on working hard despite a lean patch that had largely put him on the sidelines.
During the semifinal between India and England, Men in Blue would be banking on Sanju's experience and power game. After a masterclass 50-ball 97* against WI, which saw Sanju play some of his most mature, risk-free cricket, hopes are high from the Kerala batter, especially with world number one batter Abhishek Sharma struggling to find his form at the top. He is expected to provide a cushion of extra runs to Abhishek so that the southpaw can find his time to settle and fire.
Sanju's breakthrough knocks came after failing to convert two of his starts against Namibia in the group stage and against Zimbabwe in a must-win Super Eight clash, scoring 22 in eight balls against Namibia and a 15-ball 24 against Zimbabwe. Struggling to convert his starts or not firing at all has been a very consistent theme of Sanju's career so far, with the batter offering occasional glimpses of his unbelievable hitting and timing.
Speaking ahead of the match in the pre-match presser, Morkel said, "Coming to Sanju, a quality player. I do not think there was a lot of conversation (ahead of the semifinals). He is a guy that always works hard at the nets. And yeah, I think just with that sort of opportunity he got, he showed his class and his experience. He got the opportunity, and as a guy that has played a lot of games, he stepped up in a crucial game. From a coaching or from a mentor sort of side, it was just about giving him the backing."
"Although he sort of lost his place in the team. For him, it was always at nets to make sure he gets the quality work in. Because you never know in a tournament that a situation as we found ourselves can always be there. So credit to him for not losing that hope and keeping on working hard and sticking to his strengths. And then taking the opportunity. I think in professional sports, it is all about staying ready. Credit to him for keeping calm and fighting through that tough little period," he added.
In three T20 WC matches so far, he has made 143 runs at an average of 71.50 and a strike rate of 195.89, with a fifty to his name. (ANI)
