Former Indian Test opener Sourav Ganguly praised Sanju Samson for playing a mature knock in the Super 8 clash of the ongoing T20 World Cup at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Sunday. Samson scored a majestic knock of 97 runs off just 50 balls in the run-chase of 196 to help his team book their place in the semifinal of the tournament.

The flamboyant batter scored 12 fours and four maximums in his blistering knock as he scored at a strike rate of 194. Samson showed all the control in his innings as he batted at the top of his game. 

“He’s (Samson) a very good player. He should consistently play for India in white-ball cricket –  100 per cent,” Ganguly said on Monday. “It was a virtual quarter-final, and to be 97 not out shows his quality. He’s that sort of player… when he gets in, he will hurt the opposition.”

Ganguly said Samson played according to the match situation and deserves all the credit for taking India to the semifinal.

“He (Samson) played according to the situation, and that was important. What it teaches all of us is that the same boy who, in the last six months, could not find his place in the team – whether it was Ishan Kishan opening or somebody else coming in,” Ganguly said.

“Just before the World Cup, I used to read headlines saying, ‘Sanju fails again’, ‘He does not deserve a place’, ‘India has so much talent, why is Shubman Gill not in the side?’ and yet here is a boy in a quarter-final game, scoring 97 not out and taking you to the semi-final,” he added.

The former Indian skipper said England will be a tougher opposition for India than the West Indies.

“England will be a stronger opposition than the West Indies. They have to play just like they did yesterday,” Ganguly said.

India will take on England in the second semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on Thursday.