Gautam Gambhir’s Savage Line That Fired Up Sanju Samson for 3 T20I Centuries
Gautam Gambhir’s surprising “21 ducks” remark lifted Sanju Samson’s confidence during a low phase.
Sanju Samson’s international career has often been a stop-start affair, with the talented wicketkeeper-batter struggling to cement his place in India’s white-ball squads despite his evident potential.
Things changed after Gautam Gambhir took over as head coach and Suryakumar Yadav was named T20I captain. The new leadership gave Samson the opportunity to open the batting alongside Abhishek Sharma.
The move did not pay off immediately, with Samson enduring a lean patch against Sri Lanka. However, he bounced back strongly against Bangladesh and South Africa, smashing three T20I centuries in quick succession.
Speaking on Ravichandran Ashwin’s YouTube channel, Samson revealed how a candid conversation with Gambhir lifted his spirits after the Sri Lanka series.
“I was a bit down in the dressing room, and Gautam bhai came up to me and asked what happened. I told him, ‘After a long time, I got a chance, but I failed to capitalise.’ He said, ‘So what? I won’t drop you even if you register 21 ducks.’”
Samson also recalled Suryakumar Yadav’s backing ahead of the series.
“Surya told me, ‘We have seven games lined up, and I’m going to give you all seven as an opener.’ Hearing that from the captain himself felt great,” Samson said.
The Kerala cricketer credited both Gambhir and Yadav for instilling belief in him.
“That kind of confidence from the captain and coach really helped me to go out there and perform,” he said.
Samson has so far played 42 T20Is for India, scoring 861 runs at an average of 25.32 and a strike rate of 152.38, including three centuries and two fifties.
