Despite anchoring India to a record-breaking total with a blistering 89*, Sanju Samson displayed remarkable humility during the post-match ceremony at the Wankhede Stadium. After receiving the Player of the Match award for his 42-ball masterclass against England, Samson insisted that the trophy belonged to Jasprit Bumrah, whose defensive bowling in the death overs secured India’s 7-run victory. On a night where nearly 500 runs were scored and the average economy rate hovered above 12, Bumrah was the lone pillar of resistance, finishing with figures of 1/33.
“I Wouldn’t Be Standing Here”: Samson’s Tribute to the Bowlers
Speaking to Ian Bishop during the official presentation [Source: ICC/Star Sports], Samson was quick to shift the limelight away from his personal milestone. He emphasized that without Bumrah’s 18th over, which conceded just 6 runs despite a rampaging Jacob Bethell, his batting efforts would have ended in a losing cause.
“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. 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.” — Sanju Samson
The “Process” Over the Century
Samson, who smashed seven sixes and eight fours, fell just 11 runs short of what would have been a historic century in a World Cup knockout. However, the wicketkeeper-batter dismissed any regrets about missing the triple figures, explaining that the high-octane nature of T20 cricket demands selfless aggression over personal milestones.
“I think 100… you can’t actually score a hundred. It actually comes in the process. It’s not a Test game, it’s not an 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. I’m very happy to get whatever I’m getting and very happy to contribute on the winning side for my country.” — Sanju Samson
Form and Calculations at the Wankhede
Coming off a fifty against the West Indies in the Super Eights, Samson admitted he felt the momentum shifting in his favor. He revealed that his strategy was to grant himself a small window to assess the bounce before launching an all-out assault, knowing that no target is truly safe at the high-scoring Mumbai venue.
“Feels really great. To be honest, I kind of knew that I got some form going from the last game, so I thought I needed to continue. It’s not easy to 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. I calculated my innings a bit… even 250 looked like chaseable here and England played really well.” — Sanju Samson
