In the ongoing T20 World Cup, Indian wicket-keeper batter Sanju Samson has grabbed the opportunity with both hands, making headlines with his instrumental knocks. Behind his impressive performances lies a moment of quiet encouragement from Rohit Sharma. The moment came shortly after Samson blasted a breathtaking knock of 97 runs from 50 deliveries against West Indies in the semi-final in Kolkata. A short video clip soon circulated online showing Rohit approaching the wicketkeeper-batter for a brief chat.
In that interaction, Rohit reassured Samson that opportunities would come and that he should remain ready. Ironically, Rohit's chat with Samson came just before India’s first game of the tournament against the United States, where Samson was not included in the playing XI and had to watch from the sidelines.
Speaking about the conversation, Rohit revealed the reason he felt compelled to speak to Samson at that moment. The former Indian captain explained that he could sense the emotions Samson might have been experiencing, having gone through similar phases himself.
"I can sometimes feel the pulse of the player. I have been myself in that place where, you know, when I've been in a tournament like this and my chances haven't come, it's important to stay focused and try and do the right things and not get frustrated with you not getting the opportunity, and that's what I felt with him," Rohit said in a video shared by ICC on Instagram
"Because he was consistently playing for India and then was dropped just before the World Cup started, you know, I just wanted to tell him that it's a long tournament and funny things have happened in the past, so I just wanted to reassure him that your chance would come. So it happened in the game where it was a crucial game for India and he played a blinder," Rohit said.
Since getting his opportunity, Samson has been in exceptional form. Across four matches in the tournament, he has amassed 232 runs, maintaining an average of 77.33 and an extraordinary strike rate of 201.73.