Samson's batting is classical, but fans love him for his humility too

A completely unique elite cricketer who lives life the way he wants to live it

- Sharda Ugra

Last November, for whatever reason you may choose to believe, Rajast-han Royals let go of Sanju Samson. A few months later, the legend of Samson—more than a decade in the making for India — rises and he turns into the caliph of the clutch and the pasha of the Powerplay, giving India’s T20 World Cup campaign wings, claws, et al.

Of his five (from India’s nine) T20 World Cup matches, no one remembers 22 and 24 vs Namibia and Zimbabwe. But we're sure as hell never forgetting 97*, 89, 89.

Also remember, CSK procured Samson in exchange for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Cur-ran, a one-for-two deal that now leaves no doubt about the value. CSKare allowed a chuckle. Samson's cult-figure status has only expanded in the last week of the World Cup; His Instagram following went from 11.5mn to 18mn as of this week. (RR marketing facepalms).

Samson now finds himself at the top of India’s white-ball batting totem — not just a World Cup-sealing innings, but that stuff three times over. His cricket and his personality, though, remain curious amalgams.

At the crease, Samson's batting is steeped in classical frameworks ~ the godgift of timing, the purity of his batswing, the ability to hold shape, the lightness and balance in a frame which can lovingly be described as chunky. The sounds off that bat and that frame though — the crack, whizz, smack, sizzle — seem to belong to a hypersonic future.