Former South African batsman Faf du Plessis and legendary Indian spinner Anil Kumble have credited the Indian batsmen’s recent struggles against off-spin as the key foundation behind Sanju Samson’s rise and his heroic innings.
After Sanju Samson’s fascinating innings helped him take control of the Indian innings which looked like it was collapsing at some stage, the batsman has been praised by every former and present player in the cricket fraternity. Amidst all the praise for Sanju Samson’s innings, left-handed batsmen are also facing criticism.
Faf du Plessis supports absurd claim on Sanju Samson
India cricket experts on ESPN Cricinfo conducted a rapid-fire round for two former players, Anil Kumble and Faf du Plessis. The first question was an interesting criticism for India, where he asked, “‘Offspin crisis’ proved to be a boon for India. Yes or no?”
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Faf du Plessis agreed ‘yes’ and Anil Kumble also supported him with the same response. These reactions came on the back of the fact that the Indian left-handed top order struggles against off-spin, and Kishan’s early dismissal against Aiden Markram in the match against South Africa prompted the Indian team to bring Sanju Samson into the eleven.
Here is the video
Did India’s “offspin crisis” turn out to be a blessing in disguise? How important was Tilak Verma’s innings?
Faf du Plessis did rapid-fire review #INDvWI #T20WorldCup #timeout pic.twitter.com/7MS6eqHaKG
– ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) 2 March 2026
After this, Du Plessis talked about the best aspect of Sanju Samson’s match-winning innings of 97* runs in 50 balls. “Everything. His control in that innings was an absolute masterclass. And how he chased the target. He never looked like he was nervous. There was no frustration,” he said.
The South African said, “He was just timing the ball and reacting accordingly; it was beautiful to see someone taking control of the innings.”
Did India’s “offspin crisis” turn out to be a blessing in disguise? How important was Tilak Verma’s innings?
Faf du Plessis did rapid-fire review #INDvWI #T20WorldCup #timeout pic.twitter.com/7MS6eqHaKG
– ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) 2 March 2026
Faf du Plessis gave a modest ‘7’ rating to Tilak Verma’s 27-run innings.
Du Plessis expressed his opinion on many different aspects of the game. He said that he would have been very happy with the way West Indies finished their power play without losing any wicket. In fact, they were expected to perform a little harder in the latter stages of the powerplay.
Du Plessis also did not put the entire blame on West Indies captain Shai Hope, who played a very slow innings, which, according to many, affected West Indies’ initial run rate. He said that he just missed the middle of his bat and yet no single player can be blamed.
However, Du Plessis agreed that a little more intensity after the powerplay or Shimron Hetmyer coming in early and using force could have worked for the Windies.
Subsequently, talking about Indian batsman Tilak Verma’s cameo and its impact on the result, du Plessis gave it 7 out of 10, meaning that although he gives credit to the innings, he does not consider it a game-changer.
Shivam Dubey’s ability to win big moments is not celebrated enough – Faf du Plessis
An interesting question was put to the former South African great, asking if he felt Shivam Dube’s ability to win big moments is not celebrated enough. On this, Du Plessis not only said no but also made fun of the Indian all-rounder.
Faf made fun of Dubey, saying, “I think if he has a big moment, people will celebrate it.” Dubey finished the game well for India and hit two fours in the 19th over of the game when India needed them. Dubey’s 10 runs with the help of two fours in 4 balls and a leg bye double helped Sanju Samson.
He then reflected on the fact that, despite missing the chance to qualify for the semi-finals, this is arguably one of the best West Indies teams in the world since 2016.
Also read: Despite brilliant performance against West Indies, Ravi Shastri refuses to forget Sanju Samson’s past failures
