00:01Sanju, do you think that all the hard work from Trivandrum carrying your crate and all
00:08have been rewarded through these two knocks and also did last match knock had a huge impact on this knock?
00:15Yes sir. Hi, how are you? Good.
00:18So, first of all, yes, it feels really great or really relieved that I have been actually from a few
00:25years
00:25trying to do something like this for my country.
00:27So, just waiting with a lot of patience, a lot of inner work, a lot of training, a lot of
00:33practice.
00:34I think, yeah, so definitely I should be very grateful but I kind of feel that we have one more
00:39step to go.
00:39If we do that, then I think all the work, everything was worth it.
00:43So, I feel that one more inning should be really good.
00:47And yes, I think last innings definitely played a good role in this innings as well.
00:50So, I know that I was timing the ball really well. I was taking good decisions.
00:54I thought that if you are in form, you should definitely contribute for your team in this game as well.
00:59So, that's how I prepared for today and things came on very nicely today.
01:04Sanju, the last nine months were really difficult for you.
01:08You were moved down the batting order and then you came up again in New Zealand series.
01:13And then there was pressure on you. The runs didn't come.
01:15Eventually, initially for the World Cup, you didn't make it to the playing XI.
01:19Finally, you did get your chance.
01:20So, during that really difficult time, how did you stay motivated?
01:26Because, you know, in cricket, the chances don't come really that easily.
01:30Yes, I think that was very challenging for me.
01:34I think I definitely wanted to come and do what I am trying to do now for the country, contribute
01:39and win games in the World Cup.
01:41But I think I was trying a bit too much in the New Zealand series.
01:44I wanted to make an impact and get into the XI of the World Cup here.
01:48But I think you know this format. I think this cricket can get very funny.
01:52Even the best in the world actually struggle to score runs in this format.
01:55So, I think I had to respect the game. I had to come back to my basics, work a bit
02:00more from my basics.
02:01I think a lot of work did go really well. I think when hard times were coming, I think my
02:06close people,
02:07the people whom I love, whom I support, they were with me and I closed all my windows.
02:12I shut down my phone. I was not in social media. I am still not in social media.
02:16So, less noise, less people interacting with me.
02:19So, I think that really helped me to focus on the right direction and I am very happy how I
02:24am going.
02:25Sanju, congrats. You spoke about, you know, insecurities creeping in, self-doubt creeping in in Kolkata.
02:32What is the difference in terms of your approach? Because there you were chasing, you know, the target.
02:36You know what you had to do. Here, due factor, a lot of variables coming in.
02:40How did you approach that? And you are finally going to be playing in a T20 World Cup final.
02:44You missed out last time. Like what that means?
02:46Yeah, it means really one of the best moments in my life is happening. So, I am very grateful for
02:51that.
02:52And yeah, I think I have been playing this format for a very long time. I have played around 300
02:57or 400 T20.
02:58So, I have played from top 1 to 6. So, I have captained a franchise.
03:02So, I kind of have the experience of knowing what does a team demand at the moment and what is
03:07the exact role of myself in this level.
03:10So, I think that clarity definitely helps you to score runs the way you want to.
03:13And last match was all about, I think, taking the team along. I think as soon as we builded a
03:18momentum, I think wickets were falling in the last game.
03:20So, I had to finish it off till the last ball. But this game was completely different when you are
03:26backing first.
03:27In Vankade, you know that no score is enough here. So, I just wanted to, after I got a start,
03:33I wanted to capitalize on as many as sixes or fours I could possibly hit for the team.
03:38Sanju, you played the last two innings. Almost 100.
03:43But in Delhi, the team was a very small team. You actually played the World Cup down.
03:48There was a small cameo. It was so important. Because you were playing attacking.
03:53Then, after that, it was a small team in the next match. It was also small.
03:55It was a big burden for Sanju Sam sir. I think it was over 10-15 years.
04:00Now, I feel like it was finished. I feel like it was a little bit.
04:02Well, there were two centuries missed.
04:05One, it was 1997 and 1989. It was a big deal.
04:10I am very grateful for that.
04:15So, you have seen that my game has followed me a lot.
04:19You have said, if it feels good, I try to give a great start for my team.
04:23You know, today, you will know that there is a match in power play.
04:26So, as soon as you get three or four balls, you try to attack.
04:31Like I am doing so many matches, I am doing so many.
04:35So, top three is all about going and exploding in the power play.
04:38So, sometimes you actually end up on the negative side of the result.
04:41Well, sometimes you do this, actually. You can't but change your character or change the game plan.
04:45Because we are batting till number eight and batting is very low.
04:49So, if you try to play with the team, if you have a day, then take it away.
04:54If you have a day, then take it away. If not, then support others.
04:55How much will you feel about it?
04:57One more match, then I feel a lot.
05:01Sanju, today, the margin of 499 runs was only 7 runs.
05:06When you were keeping with batting, when you were keeping with different views,
05:12and when you were beating Jacob Bethel.
05:14So, how did you read the game situation at that time?
05:17And what did you think that the game can slip?
05:20Or probably slip?
05:21The margin is so low.
05:22And if you were able to sum up the conditions, how did you do it today?
05:25Yeah, I don't know.
05:28I don't know.
05:28I don't know.
05:29I don't know.
05:32They were definitely trying to come hard at us.
05:34And then we got three wickets in the power play.
05:36Then I thought, okay, a little game is coming.
05:38But the way Bethel batted and the partnership which they had, I kind of felt, no, it's still possible.
05:44They needed 13 runs per and over.
05:45They were getting two boundaries every year.
05:47It was very easy for them at the middle stage.
05:49But the way our bowlers came back.
05:51I think the quality which we have in Arshideep, in Hardik and Bumrah,
05:54you all know.
05:55I think he is a once-in-a-generation bowler which we are very lucky to have.
05:59I think the way he bowled those six Yorkers in line.
06:02I think then you have kind of a confidence.
06:04I think you have kind of confidence.
06:16And I think we had a great game.
06:19Sanju, when you were dropped today, what did you think?
06:23What was playing on your mind?
06:25Did you think that a hundred is around the corner now?
06:29Now that I have got a life on.
06:30Yes, I am very unlucky.
06:32But luck also had to go a little while.
06:34So I was very fortunate.
06:38Yes, if one of us came back, we would have to take it.
06:42So yeah, I was very fortunate.
06:44But you can't actually.
06:45There are many catches in my batting.
06:48So I know that if I think about catches,
06:50I was going to kill the ball.
06:52I was going to kill him.
06:52But I didn't catch him.
06:54The next time I will kill him.
06:55So you keep it very simple.
06:57I think you don't think about a lot of things at that moment.
06:59No.
07:00How to kill the ballers?
07:01How to calculate the ballers?
07:02Your mind is always in that process.
07:05Sanju, well-plied.
07:07Today, we will tell you something about pitch.
07:09You have a lot of ballers on both sides.
07:12You know, it's not so easy.
07:14You have almost 500 runs scored.
07:16So how did pitch catcher in the first inning?
07:19It was almost similar.
07:21Yeah, it was almost similar.
07:23We knew that we were talking about in the dressing room.
07:25We were talking about the second inning.
07:26Maybe he won't.
07:28But he won't.
07:29He won't.
07:30He won't.
07:30He won't.
07:30He won't.
07:31He won't.
07:32Even covering of grass.
07:33I think it was a very true wicket.
07:35I think after first-over.
07:36I was talking about Abhishek and Abhishek.
07:37And Abhishek was talking about it.
07:38Today, it was a big wicket.
07:39So Abhishek was saying that after the power play,
07:43we should play at least 250.
07:45It was a big wicket.
07:46So I think definitely it was a high scoring game.
07:48And both of the teams have played really well.
07:52Sanju, you've had a few battles with Jofra Archer in the past.
07:55Sometimes he's got the better of you today.
07:57You know, you got dropped off his bowling.
08:00But you hit some huge boundaries off him as well.
08:03Tell us a little bit about that battle and how you prepared for it.
08:06And how you think it went.
08:07Yeah, I think it was definitely playing in my mind.
08:09Last time when we played them in home conditions,
08:12five games we played England.
08:13I think Jofra was definitely a very effective bowler at that time.
08:17So I had to do some preparation.
08:18I had to be a bit more clear in my head.
08:20How I'm going to face it.
08:22And then I think I tried to apply it today.
08:24So he's definitely a all-class bowler.
08:26You need to respect what he does.
08:27And at the same time you need to be confident as well.
08:30I think I was a bit more confident that
08:32I just played really good innings couple of days ago.
08:34So I think I need to take that confidence forward.
08:36And that kind of helped me to tackle the bowlers today.
08:43Sanju, you hit so much effortlessly sixes.
08:46So what's the way to do that?
08:47And you work with Zubin Barucha.
08:49You work with Zubin Barucha.
08:51So how do you help him with Zubin Barucha?
09:11I think you'll try to contribute.
09:22Sanju, can you talk about Betul from standing behind the wickets
09:26and the way he was looking at the situation and reading the situation especially the his contest
09:29against Varun even at the end you ran up to Dube and said something because it was a very vital
09:36last six balls can you talk about Bethel and more importantly how he was beating Varun
09:44how Bethel was playing Varun yeah yeah okay yeah I think first of all it's a bit a very hard
09:48job
09:49for a spinner to bowl the sixth or in the power play where there is nothing much in the wicket
09:53and
09:53batsmen are trying to swing and they are trying to get maximum out of that in the power play so
09:58I
09:58think credit has to go to Varun to take up that challenge and still be positive and do what he
10:03does actually so Bethel and the quality of batters which we have in this international cricket and
10:08more than the skill level they have I think now that fearless approach which has come in I think
10:12the wickets like Vankadeh gets a bit tough for the bowlers to come and do their job but it's just
10:18a
10:18matter of getting a couple of sixes less hitting I think that's where we are trying to work on as
10:25a unit and yeah I think that's what I feel it's better to be a batsman nowadays Sanju you mentioned
10:33about reliance on Arshadip and Bumrah in that 17th and 18th but can you just give a sense about the
10:38discussions that were going on about whether to use both of them on in the 17th and 19th or use
10:45them
10:46yeah I think the game was going neck to neck and they were trying to actually get 13s 15s in
10:53and over
10:54and but I think we knew that if we take the game till the end I think they might actually
10:58get
10:59heavy on us so I think we just wanted to finish off the game a bit earlier so I think
11:03that's where we
11:04tried to bowl Bumrah and Arshadip and Hadik in those three overs and that I think definitely played well
11:10today today. Sanju you just said that cricket is such a leveler that sometimes the top batsmen
11:16are very different. So as a fellow opener Abhishek is now going through the same phase which
11:26you have gone through recently. So what do you think that in this phase I know it's a bit individual
11:32choices and what what is the most important thing for a player like you shut down from the social
11:40media shut down the outside noise. What is actually the primary requirement at this point of point?
11:52I think we are taking care of all our players to be very honest we have a really great environment
11:58in
11:58dressing room both of our leaders GGI and Surya has a lot of faith and confidence in Abhishek and
12:04we try to actually help him in the way he actually requires I think he has definitely gone through
12:09lots of ups and downs in his career so he is also trying to find a way out and we
12:14all are with him
12:14and I think it's just a matter of couple of sixes he eats in the middle and everything can change
12:19in
12:19this format I think we still believe in him and we feel that I think final is going to be
12:24his day I
12:24think I kind of feel that he is definitely going to come really great on the last day.
12:29Thank you, thanks.
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