They call him an enigma. That’s because, going by the definition of the word, Sanju Samson is difficult to understand. He can make look the best of batters look pedestrian when he is on song. On his day, he can dwarf everyone. Somehow or the other, the days falling in the second category occur more frequently. That’s why Sanju remains someone who is difficult to decode.
On Saturday (October 12) against Bangladesh in Hyderabad, this Kerala maverick produced one of the dream knocks played by an Indian in a T20I. Hundred off 40 balls — second quickest by an Indian — and 111 off 47 balls eventually are statistical highlights. Due largely to him, India posted the highest ever T20I total (297/6) in a match featuring two Test nations. What the figures don’t tell are the sublime nature of this demolition of a pedestrian attack on a benign pitch.
The player turning 30 on November 11 was never questioned for lack of talent. He showed that in no uncertain terms in the third and final match of the series, after having made 29 and 10 in the first two. A brutal timer of the ball who gets his body into good positions, which adds punch to his strokes, Sanju hardly put a foot wrong. Everything he met was with conviction and the middle of the bat. His clinical timing made the ball soar over the fence with relentless regularity.
IND vs BAN 3rd T20I: Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav star as India smash records and Bangladesh
People will talk about the five sixes he smashed of Rishad Hossain in the eighth over. The leg-spinner’s inability to think differently and land almost every delivery at the same spot helped the batter who was on full flow. But, it still took some doing to hit almost straight, ball after ball, and clear the ropes. Apparently, there was no effort involved. The four fours he had struck off Taskin Ahmed in the second over presented a different bouquet of shots.
That showed the range Sanju is able to cover. It has been an underwhelming journey for him in India colours so far. So people say. In 16 ODIs, he averages above 56, although with the aid of a few not outs. In T20Is, however, he hasn’t exactly covered himself in glory, making 483 runs in 28 innings prior to the Hyderabad hurricane. He is not consistent, people often complained.
While there is some truth in talks about Sanju’s inconsistency at the international level, it should not be overlooked that he has rarely got a consistent run. One match now, two more after a break and then not in the quad — Sanju has not got the chance to settle down in the national team. It’s nobody’s fault really, because of the diversity of resources the T20 world champions possess.
However, now under a new coach and looking to build for the 2026 T20 World Cup, Sanju is a great headache for Gautam Gambhir as well the selectors. Abilities not in doubt, he has to add steel and stability in his approach. On his day, he is a cut above. The challenge for him now is to ensure that those days come more frequently. The Hyderabad hundred can mark a new chapter in his career.
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