"It’s nothing to do with me" Gautam Gambhir downplays his role in Sanju Samson's success as opener

Sanju Samson struck back-to-back T20I centuries against Bangladesh and South Africa.

Sanju Samson has got a new lease of life in his international career, and finally, the Kerala cricketer is making his opportunities count.

Samson made his T20I debut for India in 2015, but didn’t get to play another T20I for four and a half years. In the chances he’d been getting, he had failed to utilise them.

Until the third T20I against Bangladesh in Hyderabad, Samson had struck only two fifties in 32 T20Is. It didn’t help his cause that he’d been shuffled through the top seven by different sets of captains and coaches.

Finally, Samson struck gold as an opener and became the first Indian batsman to smash centuries in two consecutive T20I innings. He walloped 111 off 47 against Bangladesh in Hyderabad and made an even more classical century against South Africa in Durban, a score of 107 off 50 balls laced with seven fours and 10 sixes.

Earlier in July, Samson had bagged two ducks in consecutive innings in Sri Lanka. But head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav continued to back him.

After the ton in Durban, Samson revealed that he’d gotten calls from coach Gambhir and captain Suryakumar after his ducks in Sri Lanka. He credited their backing for boosting confidence in him.

Over the years, Gambhir has been a huge admirer of Samson and often praised him. When he got into the head coach role, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retiring, Gambhir promoted Samson to the opener’s role and the results are terrific.

It was all about giving him the right number: Gautam Gambhir

Gambhir, though, refused to take the credit for Sanju Samson’s success.

Speaking in a press conference on Monday before departing for Australia, Gambhir played down his role in Samson’s recent success.

The head coach said, “Not at all; I think it’s nothing to do with me. I think it’s his ability. It was all about giving him the right number and backing him. I think ultimately it’s his hard work. What he is doing for Indian cricket is just the start; it’s not the end. Hopefully he can continue taking this form forward.”

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