“Maybe even his career was also on the line” - Murali Kartik on Sanju Samson’s 97-run unbeaten knock

Former Indian spinner Murali Kartik has stated that it was not just a do-or-die game for Team India, but also for the opening batter Sanju Samson, who responded with an unbeaten 97-run knock against the West Indies at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday, March 1.

Notably, Samson’s match-winning knock also propelled the Indian team, led by Suryakumar Yadav, to the semi-finals of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign. Speaking exclusively on Cricbuzz, Kartik stated that Samson had an error-free batting with a really smart shot selection. 

"Your team was on the line, maybe even his career was also on the line. When there is so much competition, so when he goes out there, he has to forget about all that and react to the ball, and he did exactly that. It was error-free batting, with really smart shot selection. He had a strike rate of 194 despite playing risk-free cricket," Murali Kartik said on Cricbuzz.

On the other hand, the former Indian batter Manoj Tiwary stated that the Indian batters didn’t look under pressure in the 196-run chase. He went on to add that it was god’s plan for Samson, and his post-match celebration indicated the same, comparing him to Rahul Dravid.

"India did not look under pressure at all while chasing, whether it be Sanju Samson or everyone else. Everyone played their role, and the way Samson finished things, the celebrations we got to see, this was Sanju Samson's god's plan. His celebration said a lot, because of all that has happened to him recently. Usually when he celebrates, he shows his bicep, but today he got on his knees, and that showed that God's Plan was for him," Manoj Tiwary said on Cricbuzz.

"It was quite similar to Rahul Dravid. Watching him, it never felt like he was expressive, but even he used to get angry. Even Samson must have been angry, but he curbed his anger and let the bat do the talking. This will be one of the top innings of his career. Hats off to him," he added.

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