Former India starter Gautam Gambhir said Sanju Samson “doesn’t need to be next” after Congressional leader Shashi Tharoor called the Kerala hitter the next MS Dhoni. Tharoor made the comment after Sanju Samson played another impressive hit at IPL 2020, helping the Rajasthan Royals beat Kings XI Punjab in a high-scoring game on Sunday.
After scoring 74 in his first game of the campaign against Chennai Super Kings, Sanju Samson played a whirlwind of 85 against Kings XI to help the Royals chase 224 with three balls remaining. It is now the most successful chase in the history of the competition.
Sanju Samson got to the fold after Jos Buttler set off cheaply and took Royals bowlers to the dry cleaner early on. He shared 81 runs of just 42 balls with Steve Smith for the second wicket to set the stage for the chase before the latter left.
After Smith’s departure, the right-handed hitter kept the chase on the road before starting in 17th. After his departure, Rahul Tewatia hit five sixes in an over to seal the game for the Royals. Sanju Samson was awarded Man of the Match for his 42-ball effort that was studded with four fours and seven sixes.
Gautam Gambhir disagrees with Shashi Tharoor:
Shortly after the game ended, Shashi Tharoor took to Twitter to praise the batter. He remembered how he had told him he would be the next MS Dhoni when he was only 14 years old. The congressional leader went on to say that his prediction finally came true when he tweeted:
“What an absolutely incredible win for @rajasthanroyals! I’ve known @iamSanjuSamson for a decade and when I was 14 I told him that one day I would be the next MS Dhoni. Well, that day is here. After his two incredible innings at this IPL, you know a world-class player has arrived. “
What an absolutely incredible victory for @rajasthanroyals ! I have known @iamSanjuSamson for a decade and told him when he was 14 that one day he would be the next MS Dhoni. Well, that day is here. After his two incredible innings at this IPL, you know a world-class player has arrived.
– Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) September 27, 2020
However, Gautam Gambhir was quick to shut down his fellow politician. The hitting legend, who is a huge fan of Sanju Samson, responded to Tharoor’s tweet by writing:
“Sanju Samson doesn’t need to be next to anyone. It will be ‘the’ Sanju Samson of Indian Cricket. “
Sanju Samson doesn’t need to be next to anyone. It will be ‘the’ Sanju Samson of Indian Cricket. https://t.co/xUBmQILBXv
– Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) September 27, 2020
