Sanju Samson Sixes: Awestruck Sunil Gavaskar Hails India Opener

India opener Sanju Samson's innings against Zimbabwe in the must-win ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Super Eight match at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, on Thursday lasted only 15 deliveries, but the 24-run cameo was enough to earn praise from legendary Sunil Gavaskar.

Opening the innings, Samson played the first ball for a dot to short third, but the 31-year-old launched the second for a six over long-off. The right-handed batter then flicked the next delivery for a four.

"That six which Sanju Samson hit off the back foot straight over long off was amazing. It is not an easy shot to play off the back foot. You usually play towards mid-wicket or thereabouts," Sunil Gavaskar told Star Sports after India's 72-run win.

13 from the opening, bowled by Richard Ngarava, and it set the tone for the innings. In the next over, Samson hit Blessing Muzarabani's fourth delivery for a maximum, over long-on. The over yielded 10 runs, and India were on course for a massive total.

"Then he hit another six over long on. Wonderful shots," the former India captain continued. "It tells you the class of the man. In the interest of the team, he went for a big hit and got out. That is fine because he got India off to a flying start. In a tournament like the T20 World Cup, that is important. A flying start gives a nice platform for the other batters to come in and smash the ball around."

Recalled into the playing XI, in place of Rinku Singh, that Samson special not only gave the team a flying start, but also allowed struggling Abhishek Sharma (55 off 30) to take time in the middle. The pair stitched India's best opening stand in this edition, then, with the foundation laid, the power-packed middle order unleashed fury.

India eventually scored 256/4, the second-highest team total in the tournament's history. During the course of the innings, Indian batters, six of them, scored at a strike rate of 150-plus.

What Next For India?

India will now head to Kolkata for their final Super Eight match against the West Indies, a virtual quarter-final with the winners making the last four. Both teams had lost to South Africa, and the Eden Gardens outing is expected to be a cracker between the two-time T20 World Cup winners.

India do enjoy a superior T20I head-to-head record, 19-10, but the Windies lead 3-1 in the World Cups, including a semi-final win in 2016, in Mumbai.

Will India Select Sanju Samson for The West Indies Match?

As things stand, Sanju Samson is not a certainty in the playing XI but will most likely continue to pair with Abhishek Sharma as openers -- giving India the right-hand right-hand combination.

"After the match against South Africa, there was debate about whether India should make changes in the playing XI or not, and they made two changes and both worked out quite well. Sanju Samson didn't get a fifty, but gave India a flying start," Gavaskar continued.