‘Opportunity to do something special’: Gambhir demands ‘special effort’ as India gear up for semi-final against England

NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir has warned that nothing short of a “special effort” will be enough when the defending champions face England in a blockbuster T20 World Cup semi-final in Mumbai, even as he lavished praise on Sanju Samson for keeping their title defence alive.

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Samson produced a sublime unbeaten 97 off just 50 balls to power India to a five-wicket win over the West Indies at a packed Eden Gardens, chasing down 196 in a winner-takes-all Super Eights clash. His knock, studded with 12 fours and four sixes, lifted India to 199/5 and into the last four.




“We all know how good a player Sanju is,” Gambhir said after the match. “It was all about backing him and when the team needed him the most. Obviously today was the day when he probably showed his full potential.”

Samson had played just one group-stage match, scoring 22 against Namibia, as India preferred a left-hand opening pair. Recalled for the Super Eights to add a right-handed option at the top, he made 24 against Zimbabwe — enough for Gambhir to persist with him.

“I have always said that he is a world-class player. He is a great talent and hopefully he can kick on from now and we can see a lot more innings like this,” Gambhir added.


But the focus now shifts to Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium, where a formidable England side awaits on Thursday. Harry Brook’s men arrive unbeaten in the Super Eights and peaking at the right time.

“Look, they’re a world-class team, they’re a quality team, they’ve got a lot of quality players as well,” Gambhir said in a post-match news conference.

He acknowledged the new challenge posed by Wankhede’s conditions after Kolkata. “We all know that playing at the Wankhede is a tough game, but it’s another opportunity to do something special for the team and for the country.”

India, he stressed, must be flawless.

“Hopefully we play our best game, that is going to be very important and we can keep ticking all the boxes. Because we will need a special effort to beat a quality side like England,” Gambhir further added.


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