Abhishek Sharma’s father reveals Sanju Samson backed his son: “Uncle, don’t worry, he will dominate”
Sanju was not just a hero on the pitch but off it as well.
Sanju Samson’s support played a big role in Abhishek Sharma’s journey during the T20 World Cup, especially when the young opener was going through a tough phase.
Abhishek came into the tournament as one of India’s key batters and the No. 1 T20 batter, but things did not go as planned early on. He struggled for runs and even had three consecutive ducks, which led to calls from fans to drop him. Despite this, the team management and his teammates continued to back him.
Samson’s belief during tough times
Speaking to News Nation, Abhishek’s father revealed how Sanju Samson stood by his son during this difficult period.
“Whenever I met Sanju, I used to ask him, ‘Sanju bhai, what happened to Abhishek?’ He would always say, ‘Uncle, don’t worry. He is a very big player. He won’t just play, he will dominate. In the coming time, he will win matches for India.’”
He added, “I told him, ‘Thank you, Sanju. The way you speak with so much belief and affection, I’m a fan of yours.’
He replied, ‘No, no paaji, it’s not like that.’
"But you can clearly see the confidence he has in him. He is a very big player, players like him are rare. And whenever he gets the chance, he has already shown you his class."
These words show how important dressing room support is when a player is low on confidence. Sanju knows what it feels like to face criticism and wait for his chance, yet he still showed the presence of mind, leadership, and warmth to support his young teammate.
From doubts to being clutch
Samson’s belief proved right. After winning the Player of the Match award in the semi final, he said that Abhishek would deliver in the final.
And Abhishek did exactly that.
He smashed a 52-run half century off just 21 balls against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium. It was the fastest fifty in T20 World Cup knockout history.
Along with Samson, he also put up a record opening partnership of 98 runs, the highest in a T20 World Cup final. India went on to win the World Cup, with Abhishek playing a key role.
Sanju Samson was named Player of the Tournament, and he truly deserved it as he came out clutch for India when called upon. He was not just a hero on the pitch, but off it as well. What a player.
