Sunil Gavaskar praises Sanju Samson’s impressive T20 performance

As India fine-tunes its combination ahead of the T20 World Cup semifinal against England, Sunil Gavaskar — one of the game’s greatest openers — has offered both applause and perspective on the current pair at the top.

Having shuffled through three openers and two combinations in their title defence, India appears to have settled on Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma for the last two must-win games. The returns, however, have been contrasting.

While Abhishek has struggled for rhythm in his maiden World Cup, barring a half-century against Zimbabwe in the Super Eights, Samson produced a match-defining knock in a virtual quarterfinal against West Indies, batting through a steep chase to seal India’s knockout berth.

Gavaskar was effusive in his praise of Samson’s composure. “Oh yes,” he said when asked if it was among the best T20 innings in recent times. “Because he anchored the innings and then he also took India home, which is such an important thing. A lot of times, players get out in the 16th or 17th over and then a new batter comes in and it becomes difficult. So it was a super innings that way.”

Gavaskar spoke at a media interaction ahead of the DP World Celebrity Golf Event, to be held here on March 6, to create awareness on the CHAMPS Foundation. The foundation supports retired international sportspersons in India across disciplines who struggle to make ends meet in latter years.

What impressed Gavaskar most was Samson’s method. “He didn’t seem to take any undue risk. Played normal cricketing shots. No reverse sweeps or scoops. He stuck to his strengths. It was one of the finest T20 innings we have seen in recent times.”

On the subject of form, Gavaskar, the former India captain, struck a reassuring tone — for both Abhishek and the team management.

“Form is sometimes just one innings away,” he said, citing captain Suryakumar Yadav and Samson himself as examples of players who were ‘out of runs, not out of form’ before bouncing back.

For Abhishek, though, the advice was pointed. “Don’t always look to bat in the fourth gear. Maybe up the gears as you settle in. Yes, take advantage of the Powerplay. Play to your strengths. But you don’t always have to go flat out.”

In knockout cricket, Gavaskar implied, tempo trumps haste — and anchoring can be as impactful as audacity.