'Switched Off My Phone, Social Media': Inside Sanju Samson’s Struggle and How He Bounced Back To Propel India To T20 World Cup Semifinal

Sanju Samson provided a Midas touch as India overpowered the West Indies in Kolkata to seal a semifinal berth in the T20 World Cup. In order to book a place in the final for the second consecutive time, India will have to get the better of England in Mumbai on March 5.

Sanju Samson Opened Up On His Struggles

After waiting for a number of matches, finally, a Sanju Samson special was unfolded at Eden Gardens. The Kerala star never looked panicked and remained calm and composed throughout his innings.

Samson also went past Virat Kohli to become the highest Indian individual run scorer in a chase in T20 World Cup history. In an interaction with JioHotstar, the CSK star opened up on how he kept himself relevant throughout his challenging phase.

"A lot of people had suggestions and I saw a lot of valid points, but at the same time I felt, 'Sanju, you have scored three international hundreds with the same setup.' Shot selection was something I kept working on. I did not want to change too much because I knew I had performed with the same setup, so I kept believing in myself, switched off my phone, switched off social media and listened to my own self. I am very happy it happened in a very special game."

Abhishek Sharma's Form Remains A Concern

Despite Sanju Samson’s heroics, the form of Abhishek Sharma will remain a major concern ahead of the England clash. The Indian opener was again dismissed very cheaply at a crucial juncture.

The Men In Blue do have a pretty deep batting lineup, but in this format of the game, a good start can take away the game from the opponents. No other team has defended a T20 World Cup title so far, and the onus will be on India to do the job this time.

Also Read: Sanju Samson’s Match-Winning Blitz in T20 WC Super 8 Clash Earns Applause From Team India Head Coach