Kamal Ghorui
In the India vs New Zealand T20 World Cup final, two players stood out — Sanju Samson with the bat and Jasprit Bumrah with the ball. Samson scored 89 runs, helping India post a huge 255/5 in 20 overs. Later, Bumrah took four wickets as New Zealand fell 96 runs short of the target.Samson was named Player of the Tournament after scoring three straight half-centuries from the Super 8 stage. However, former South Africa star AB de Villiers felt that Bumrah may have deserved the award even more.“It was a really, really close call between Sanju Samson and Bumrah. Why I mention Bumrah? Well was the top wicket-taker, and so he was pushing for the Player of the Tournament. But to me, there were pivotal moments and pivotal overs that he bowled that I felt like maybe he deserved more of a mention there. It should have been closer,” said de Villiers on his YouTube channel.
“But anyway, Sanju Samson – what a tournament he had! He made the most of it. It’s not easy to bowl as a fast bowler in India unless you are Jasprit Bumrah. Even he was expensive in a couple of his overs during the tournament.“But when it mattered most in the semifinal and final, he bowled insane overs. I’ve never seen anything like it. He is hittable, but when it matters, there is a different gear this guy hits, and he goes to a different planet. An incredible performer and an asset to cricket in India.”Jasprit Bumrah made history by becoming the first fast bowler to take four wickets in a T20 World Cup knockout match. He also surpassed Lasith Malinga to become the leading fast bowler in the tournament’s history.Before Bumrah, only two spinners had taken four wickets in a T20 World Cup knockout game — Ajantha Mendis (4/12 against West Indies in the 2012 final) and Shadab Khan (4/26 in the 2021 semifinal against Australia). Bumrah is now the third bowler overall to achieve this feat.
