Kamal Ghorui
India produced a commanding display to brush aside Zimbabwe in Match 48 of the ongoing T20 World Cup at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on February 26. Asked to bat first, the Men in Blue piled up a formidable 256 in the opening innings, a total that left Zimbabwe with an uphill task from the outset.The batting unit drew widespread applause, particularly for the way the openers set the tone. Sanju Samson, drafted into the XI in place of Rinku Singh, had plenty of attention on him ahead of the clash. Partnering Abhishek Sharma at the top, Samson struck 24 off just 15 balls, ensuring India made full use of the powerplay and seized early momentum.
Following the emphatic win, former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin offered a balanced assessment of Samson’s knock on his YouTube channel.“I will see this from two sides. One, Sanju Samson the boy I know and what he is capable of. Second is Samson for the Indian team. This team, in this World Cup, addressed the opening partnership in this game. We got a better start. If Sanju can give me 15-ball 28, 16-ball 30, from here till the final, he would have done a job for the team. Maybe he can score big also, but he has done the job,” Ashwin said.Ashwin also expressed a more personal wish for the Kerala batter, hoping he converts his starts into something substantial as the tournament progresses.“For Samson the person, that I like, I really do want him to stick in and make a huge score. There will not be a better opportunity than this. I want him to start well and capitalize as well. If you come here after years after hardwork, in this platform, catch the flight. Even if you fall, you can say you tried at least. I would want him to finish the World Cup with a hundred, or that match-winning performance, for his confidence. He deserves it,” he added.
