Ahead of Team India’s semifinal match against England in the ICC T20 World Cup, Indian bowling coach Morne Morkel applauded opener Sanju Samson for his stunning show vs West Indies in a virtual quarterfinal, praising how he did not lose hope and kept on working hard as well.

Speaking ahead of the match in the pre-match presser, Morkel said, “Coming to Sanju, a quality player. I do not think there was a lot of conversation (ahead of the semifinals). He is a guy that always works hard at the nets. And yeah, I think just with that sort of opportunity he got, he showed his class and his experience. He got the opportunity, and as a guy that has played a lot of games, he stepped up in a crucial game. From a coaching or from a mentor sort of side, it was just about giving him the backing.”

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“Although he sort of lost his place in the team. For him, it was always at nets to make sure he gets the quality work in. Because you never know in a tournament that a situation as we found ourselves can always be there. So credit to him for not losing that hope and keeping on working hard and sticking to his strengths. And then taking the opportunity. I think in professional sports, it is all about staying ready. Credit to him for keeping calm and fighting through that tough little period,” he added.

In three T20 World Cup matches so far, he has scored 143 runs, which came at an average of 71.50 and a strike rate of 195.89, with a fifty as well.