After the pacer’s outstanding performance in India’s T20 World Cup semifinal triumph over England on a batting paradise on Thursday, Sanju Samson dedicated his Player of the Match award to Jasprit Bumrah, praising him as a true generational talent.
Bumrah stood up with outstanding statistics of 1/33 in four overs on a day when every bowler was blasted around the Wankhede Stadium. He also turned the contest in India’s favor with his spectacular performance toward the end.
The wicketkeeper-batter said would not be “standing here” in the first place without Bumrah’s outstanding bowling, who set the stage for India’s enormous score of 253/7 with his 42-ball 89.
“All credit goes to Bumrah, I think the world class bowler, a true once in a generation player. I think that’s what he delivered today. I think this award should go to him actually.
“I think if we didn’t bowl that way in the death overs, I think I would not be standing here. All credit goes to the bowlers, how they backed themselves in the tough conditions,” PTI quoted the humble Samson as saying in the post-match presentation.
Samson delivered on the big stage once more after his exploits in the crucial Super Eights match against the West Indies in Kolkata, and this was his second consecutive fifty-plus knock.
“Unbelievable feeling to play here, we wanted to put in a positive result. I knew I got some form going from the last game. I thought I need to make the most out of my form, gave myself extra time. We know no score is stoppable, wanted as much as possible.
“Feels really great. To be honest, I kind of knew that I got some form going from the last game, so I thought I need to continue. I think it’s not easy you find form at the crucial games for your country, so I thought big game, I need to make the most out of how I’m batting. So I gave myself an extra time.”
According to Samson, the hosts aimed to score as many runs as they could at Wankhede.
“I calculated my innings a bit. I prepared really well and I think things came off nicely. Got a bit lucky to start off and then I just wanted to carry on. Knowing, playing in Wankhede, we know that no score is stoppable here, so I just wanted to get as much as possible, runs as possible. Even 250 looked like chaseable here and England played really well. All credit goes to how they batted and we really had a great semifinal,” he added.
England lost by 7 runs, finishing at 246/7. According to Samson, it didn’t matter if he missed a century.
“I think not at all. I think 100, I think, you know, 100 actually, you can’t actually score a hundred. It actually comes in the process of, you actually, you can’t actually, it’s not a Test game, it’s not a ODI game where you can go up and down. Once you’ve got the start, you’re batting first. There is no other way. You just have to keep going hard. And once you, I think end up on the right side, who knows, I think, which amount of runs I’m getting. So I’m very happy to get whatever I’m getting and very happy to contribute on the winning side for my country,” Samson said.
