Really happy for you chetta, Virat Kohli hails Sanju Samson

Dubai: Indian cricketing star Virat Kohli hailed Sanju Samson for his brilliant performances in the T20 World Cup that earned him the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award.

The Indian opener’s knocks ensure he broke several records in the process.

Taking to Instagram, Virat posted, “What a remarkable tournament from the most well deserved man of the tournament @sanjusamson. You performed when it mattered the most. Really happy for you chetta”

It was a fairy tale comeback for Samson who had scored just 46 runs during the New Zealand series that also saw him getting dropped.

At the T20 World Cup, he first got his chance against Namibia and Zimbabwe where he had a fairly decent start. But the 31-year-old had saved the best for the last as he came up with a brilliant knock of 97 against West Indies that was crucial for India to qualify for the semi-finals. Against England in the last four match, he again gave India a solid start with a fine 89 and followed it up with another superb 89 against New Zealand in the final.

Samson made 321 runs so far in five innings at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37, with 27 fours and 24 sixes, and ended as the third-highest run-getter in the tournament. He also surpassed Virat Kohli’s total of 319 runs in the 2014 T20WC edition to have the most runs by an Indian during a single T20WC edition. However, Pakistan batter Sahibzada Farhan overtook Virat’s record earlier, ending the tournament as the leading run-getter with 383 runs at an average of 76.60 and a strike rate of 160.25, with two centuries and two fifties.

Samson’s brilliant run continued as he went past legendary Virat Kohli to become the Indian batter with the most runs in a single T20 World Cup and also joined Virat and Shahid Afridi in an elite list of batters with fifties in T20 World Cup semi-final and final both. His knock has overtaken West Indies batter Marlon Samuels’ 85* against England in the 2016 T20WC final and New Zealand star Kane Williamson’s 85 against Australia in the 2021 edition final. He owns the highest score by an Indian in a T20 World Cup knockout game.

With inputs from ANI

He also joined Virat and Shahid Afridi, the Pakistani all-rounder, as the third player to post fifties in the T20WC semi-final and final.

Virat had scored fifties in the 2014 T20 World Cup semi-final: 72 not out against South Africa and 77 not out against Sri Lanka in the final. On the other hand, Afridi made 51 against South Africa and later 54 not out against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in the final. Sanju has also joined Sri Lankan legend Mahela Jayawardene, Babar Azam, Virat, KL Rahul, Kusal Mendis, and Sahibzada as the batter with three successive 50-plus scores in T20WCs, the joint-most by a batter.