Sanju Samson’s Contribution in India’s Victory Over England

In the recent first T20 International match held at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India secured a victory against England by seven wickets. While the match was marked by notable performances across both teams, Sanju Samson’s contribution played a key part in India’s successful run chase. This article focuses on Sanju Samson’s role and performance during the match.

England, batting first after losing the toss, were bowled out for 132 runs in 20 overs. Jos Buttler was the highest scorer for England with 68 runs from 44 balls, and only Harry Brook (17) and Jofra Archer (12) reached double figures. The Indian bowlers, led by Varun Chakravarthy with 3 wickets for 23 runs, and Arshdeep Singh and Axar Patel both taking 2 wickets each, restricted England’s batting lineup. Arshdeep Singh also made history by becoming India’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, surpassing Yuzvendra Chahal.

India, in their response, chased down the target of 133 runs in just 12.5 overs, finishing at 133/3. Abhishek Sharma was the star of the innings, scoring an explosive 79 runs off just 34 balls, which included 5 fours and 8 sixes, setting the stage for the victory. While captain Suryakumar Yadav was dismissed for a duck, Sanju Samson provided valuable support, scoring 26 runs off 20 balls, which included 4 fours and a six. Tilak Varma (19 not out) and Hardik Pandya (3 not out) completed the chase, ensuring a comfortable victory for the home team. Though Jofra Archer took 2 wickets for England, it was not enough to prevent India’s powerful batting performance.

Sanju Samson, who was part of the Indian playing eleven, played a crucial role in the middle order. His knock of 26 off 20 balls was essential in ensuring that India kept up with the required run rate after the early loss of the captain. His presence at the crease allowed Abhishek Sharma to maintain the required scoring rate, and together, they built an effective partnership that helped India achieve their goal swiftly. This was very important considering India lost their captain early on.

The Indian team for this match included notable players like Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (Captain), Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, and Varun Chakravarthy. The England team consisted of players such as Ben Duckett, Phil Salt, Jos Buttler (Captain), Harry Brook, Liam Livingstone, Jacob Bethel, Jamie Overton, Gus Atkinson, Jofra Archer, Adil Rashid, and Mark Wood. India had three spinners in the game, showing the team’s flexibility and strategic approach.

In summary, while Abhishek Sharma’s explosive innings set the tone for India’s win, Sanju Samson’s contribution provided stability and played a key role in ensuring India’s comfortable win over England, putting India in a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.