Samson’s moment finally arrives

After spending most of his international career lurking in the shadows of bigger stars and failing to fulfill his incredible talent, Sanju Samson has finally risen to the occasion in the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup.

Having made his T20I debut for India in 2015, he had to wait 11 years before playing his first match in a ICC T20 World Cup.

He was picked for the group-stage match against Namibia in Delhi, where he made a brisk eight-ball 22 but was then left out for the high-stakes match against Pakistan.

Picked in the side as the backup opener, Samson would have most likely spent the rest of the tournament warming the bench had not been for two factors -- India getting thrashed by South Africa in their first game in the Super Eights and opener Abhishek Sharma’s monumental slump in form.

He returned for the match against Zimbabwe, making an unremarkable 15-ball 24 and then hit a potentially career-defining 97 not out off 50 deliveries to take India over the line in a virtual quarterfinal against West Indies.

Then in the semifinal in Mumbai, the 31-year-old right-hander delivered once again with a 42-ball 89 that set up India for a massive 253-7, which proved to be seven runs out of England’s reach even after a brilliant 48-ball 105 from Jacob Bethel.

Samson said his knock against England on Thursday was the product of years of quiet work and difficult stretches.

“I have been trying for a few years to do something like this for my country... a lot of patience, inner work, training and practice,” Samson told reporters after India set up a final showdown with New Zealand.

Samson, who was named the player-of-the-match in India’s last two games, admitted the knock in the semifinal was shaped by the momentum he carried from his innings against West Indies in the previous match.

“The last innings definitely played a good role today [Thursday]. I knew I was timing the ball well and taking good decisions. If you're in form, you should definitely contribute again," he said.

Samson also said failure in the home series against New Zealand earlier in the year prompted a reset in both his technique and mindset.

“I was trying a bit too much in the New Zealand series. I wanted to make an impact and get into the XI of the World Cup here… I had to respect the game and come back to my basics,” he said.

With India just one win away from securing back-to-back T2) World Cup titles, Samson is hoping to carry his form into the Sunday’s final in Ahmedabad.

“Definitely I feel grateful, but we have one more step to go. If we do that, then I think all the work, everything was worth it.”