Sanju Samson: Still dreaming, still delivering

Sanju Samson is living his dream. India are the beneficiaries. The only complaint, perhaps, is that he has come close to centuries and ended up missing the three-figure scores.

"Missing?" he would smile. "I haven't missed two centuries – making 97 not out and 89 was a big deal. One of the best moments in my life is happening, so I'm very grateful for that." He prefers to look at the positive side of the innings, one of which catapulted India to the final and the other bailed the team out of a tight situation.

After years of failure, scrutiny and self-doubt, Samson seems to have finally arrived. Is he feeling lighter now? "One more match, then I'll feel very light," he shoots back.

One more match and the entire country will indeed feel light, but Samson has already made this World Cup his own. After his unbeaten 97 against the West Indies, he followed it up with a splendid 89 against England in the semifinal at the Wankhede, an innings in which he redefined fearlessness.

"It feels really great, really relieved that I have actually been for a few years trying to do something like this for my country. So just waiting with a lot of patience, a lot of inner work, a lot of training, a lot of practice.

"I think, yeah, so definitely I should be very grateful, but I kind of feel that we have one more step to go. If we do that, then I think all the work, everything (would be) worth it. So I feel that one more innings should be really good," Samson said of the current phase.

In the semifinal, he looked switched on from ball one – a four and a six off Jofra Archer in the very first over and he was on the move. An early loss of his partner Abhishek Sharma did not hold him back. He kept unleashing boundaries and India were 50 in 4.3 overs, 67 for one by the end of the PowerPlay and past 100 in 8.3 overs.

The clarity of thought, effortlessness in execution and fortitude displayed by Samson was remarkable. It appeared as if he was playing an IPL game rather than a World Cup semifinal. He remained unfazed by the occasion, the stage and the opposition.

He maximised scoring opportunities by focusing on the basics. A hook off Archer was a standout shot, as was a whack off a slower delivery from the same bowler.

Samson added 97 for the second wicket with Ishan Kishan and 43 for the third wicket with Shivam Dube. India were scoring at over 12 runs an over, with Samson smashing at least a couple of boundaries in almost every over. By the time he was out, the score read 160 for three, and the platform had been firmly set.

"I know that I was timing the ball really well, I was taking good decisions. I thought that if you are in form, you should definitely contribute for your team in this game as well. So that's how I prepared for today and things came on very nicely today," Samson, declared Player of the Match, said.

Things were different a month back. "I think I was trying a bit too much in the New Zealand series, I wanted to make an impact and get into the XI of the World Cup here. But I think you know this format. This cricket can get very funny. Even the best in the world actually struggle to score runs in this format.

"So I think I had to respect the game. I had to come back to my basics, work a bit more from my basics. I think a lot of work (went into it). I think when hard times were coming, I think my close people, the people whom I love, whom I support, were with me."

"I've been playing this format for a very long time. I have played around 300 or 400 T20s. I have played from top 1 to 6. I have captained a franchise. I kind of have the experience of knowing what a team demands at the moment and what is the exact role of myself in this XI. So I think that clarity definitely helps you to score runs the way you want to.

"(In the) last match, I was taking the team along. I think as soon as we built momentum, I think wickets were falling in the last game, so I had to finish it off till the last ball. But this game was completely different when you are batting first in Wankhede, you know that no score is enough here so I just wanted to go after (the bowlers) after I got a start. I wanted to capitalize on as many as sixes or fours I could possibly hit for the team," Samson explained.

Finally, Samson had a word for his opening partner, Abhishek Sharma, who has been going through a torrid time. "We are taking care of all our players. We have a really great environment in the dressing room. Both of our leaders, GG (coach Gautam Gambhir) and Surya, have a lot of faith and confidence in Abhishek. We try to help him in the way he actually requires. I think he has definitely gone through lots of ups and downs in his career. So he's also trying to find a way out and we all are with him.

"I think it's just a matter of a couple of hits, six hits in the middle and everything can change in this format. I think we still believe in him and we feel that I think the final is going to be his day. I kind of feel that he's definitely going to come really great on the last day."

The final is on March 8, when the whole of India will hope Abhishek regains his mojo and Samson continues his dream run.