“His timing was excellent” - Sunil Gavaskar hails Sanju Samson for his knock against Oman

Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar has heaped praise on the Indian keeper-batter Sanju Samson, who scored a well-made half-century against Oman on Friday, September 19 in their last group stage fixture.

Sanju, who was slotted in the middle-order for the UAE and Pakistan matches in the ongoing Asia Cup 2025 campaign, was promoted up the order at No.3. After the early dismissal of Shubman Gill, Samson came out to bat to prove his heroics.

He went on to smack a 45-ball 56-run knock, amassing three fours and as many sixes at a strike rate of 124.44. His excellent knock helped the Indian team to post 188/8 in 20 overs and eventually win the game by 21 runs.

"He batted extremely well. He needed to bat for long, and that's what he did, because he might come to bat at No. 4 or No. 5 in the next match, and his batting will be required there. When a batter scores 40-50 runs, he gets confidence as he stands at the ground for a few overs and hits some fours and sixes. His timing was excellent," Gavaskar said on Sony Sports Network.

Furthermore, Gavaskar also hailed Samson for his impressive shot-making skills, praising his six straight down the ground. Notably, India secured a 21-run win over Oman before making it to the Super Four stage.

"He played a shot where he hit a straight six. The way he waited and hit that six, he checked his shot a little at the last second, it was enjoyable. We get to see his class from that. He has so much time to play the ball. He has so many choices as to where he should hit. Very few batters have that choice whether to hit on the off side or the leg side, and Sanju Samson is one such batter," he concluded.

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