Gautam Gambhir showed a big heart and hugged out-of-form Sanju Samson after India won the third T20I via super over against Sri Lanka on Tuesday. With this win, India also won the T20I series 3-0, which is the first under the new regime of coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Sanju Samson had a wonderful opportunity to earn a permanent spot in the Indian T20I team, but he had a poor performance in the T20I series against Sri Lanka. After missing the first game, Samson was brought into the playing XI for the next two games, however, he could only last five balls, getting out for ducks twice in a row.
Samson also had a dismal performance behind the wickets, dropping three catches in the final match. An average of less than 20 in the format does not reflect Sanju Samson’s abilities. A look at Samson’s performance in the last six months shows he only has a 58-run knock to show, which he scored against Zimbabwe in the previous series.
With tremendous competition in the keeping department in the Indian team in white-ball cricket, it remains to be seen how many chances Sanju Samson gets from the new coach Gautam Gambhir.
Sanju Samson gets a warm hug from Gautam Gambhir after India’s win in the third T20I
Gambhir may either stick with Samson for a few more games and give him a long run, or he could move his focus to players like Dhruv Jurel and Jitesh Sharma, who have been significantly more consistent in their limited appearances for India.
Coming to the third T20I, India won the match that they should’ve lost, to be honest. India struggled to bat on a challenging wicket but still managed to score 137/9, with Shubman Gill leading the way with 39 runs. Riyan Parag (26) and Washington Sundar (25) also contributed with crucial runs to give India hope.
Sri Lanka responded well, with Pathum Nissanka (26), Kusal Mendis (43), and Kusal Perera (46) getting the hosts off to a flying start. Sri Lanka was 110/1 in the 16th over, needing 28 runs off 28 balls to win. However, Sri Lanka collapsed losing their last 9 wickets for 27 runs, and only managed to tie the game.
Washington Sundar starred in the super over taking two Sri Lankan wickets and keeping them to 2 runs. Then captain Suryakumar Yadav hit a four on the first ball to hand India a stupendous win and a 3-0 series victory as well.
Coach Gautam Gambhir was delighted after India fetched a win from the jaws of defeat and hugged Sanju Samson as India completed a remarkable series win.
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— hiri_azam (@HiriAzam) July 31, 2024
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