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Cricket PlayersSanju Samson opens up on his ‘very private’ celebration after sinking to his knees, guiding India to T20 World Cup semis
Sanju Samson hit an unbeaten 97 to help India chase the total of 196 with five wickets in hand and four balls to spare against the West Indies.
Sanju Samson kept the meaning of his celebration private after India’s crucial win, but made it clear that the gesture came from a deeply personal place on a night he described as bigger than a hundred. After hitting the winning runs, the India opener sunk to his knees, looked up towards the heavens and acknowledged the support of the higher power.
“Very special moment. I am a great believer, and I want to keep it very private. And it’s a very special moment for me,” Samson said in an interview with Parthiv Patel on JioHotstar after guiding India through a tense chase at Eden Gardens.
The celebration quickly drew attention, but Samson did not offer a public explanation. Instead, he let the emotion of his words — and the context of the innings — explain why the moment mattered so much. In a pressure game where wickets kept falling, Samson said the chase demanded restraint, clarity and responsibility more than pure aggression.
“I need to finish this game”: Samson on adapting under pressure
“Yeah, absolutely. I think it was a bit difficult. I think looking at our batting power, I felt like 190 is chasable in Eden Gardens. I think when dew is coming, it gets a bit easier. But losing wickets at regular intervals made it a bit challenging,” Samson said.
He then explained how the situation forced him to move away from his usual instinct after getting set.
“To be honest, I think that’s where my kind of experience and my kind of role played a big part. I got a good start, but then normally after getting a good start, I want to just dominate and then finish off the game in a couple of overs. But I think when the wickets kept on falling, I felt like, okay, I need to finish this game. I need to take the game till the last moment and that’s what happened,” he said.
Samson also outlined the tactical shift in his batting approach between setting a target and chasing one in a high-pressure match.
“I think when you are batting first, you want to set up a big score. I tried to hit a lot of sixes. But I think when you are chasing a score like this, a pressure game like this, I think you tend to take a different option. You want to play a bit more boundaries than looking at more risk-taking options… So, I kept on timing it. And it came well today,” he said.
The wicketkeeper-batter also framed the innings as the result of a mental reset after a difficult phase. Samson spoke about a break from games, “soul-searching,” and returning to his “base” instead of overcorrecting.
“I kept on working on my base… very happy it happened in a very special game today,” he said, adding later: “Switched off my phone, switched off social media… I just listened to my own self… and then, very happy that how I am feeling at the moment.”
For Samson, that is why the celebration — and the night — carried unusual weight.
“This is more special than a hundred. Cricketers in India dream about a day like this… a young guy from Kerala… dreaming about winning a game for the country in such a crucial game. I dare to do that and very happy it happened today,” he said.
