Samson's tournament began in uncertainty \u2013 he had made only 46 runs in five T20Is against New Zealand and only got to play in the league stage game against Namibia in New Delhi due to Abhishek Sharma\u2019s stomach infection. Samson was then recalled for a crucial Super Eights game against Zimbabwe, and from there, he responded with a campaign that ultimately earned him the Player of the Tournament award.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
A blazing 97 not out in a virtual knockout game against the West Indies in Kolkata was followed by 89 in the semifinal against England in Mumbai and another knock of 89 in the final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad. His 321 runs across five innings are the most runs made by an Indian batter in a single edition of the Men\u2019s T20 World Cup.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cFor India to stick with him at the top there, that was a big call to make. A big decision, but one that worked out really well in the end. If you get the backing of the coaching staff and the captain, then that's all you need.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cJust a pat on the back or an arm around the shoulder to say, \u2018we're sticking with you, we believe in you.\u2019 When you've got the quality that Sanju's got, and the confidence of the captain and coach behind you, that's when great things can happen,\u201d said Ponting on The ICC Review show.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
For Ponting, who captained Australia to the 2003 and 2007 ODI World Cup triumphs, Samson's resurgence, along with Abhishek coming good by hitting 52 in the final, also showed how good India captain Suryakumar Yadav\u2019s leadership skills were in bringing the best out of his players.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt would have been really interesting to see how Surya has interacted with Abhishek (Sharam) and Sanju (Samson) over the last few weeks. That\u2019s where the real stories will come out on true leadership.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt would have been really interesting to see how Surya has interacted with Abhishek (Sharam) and Sanju (Samson) over the last few weeks. That\u2019s where the real stories will come out on true leadership,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Ponting also noted that Suryakumar kept himself calm despite ups and downs in his batting returns. Beyond an 84 not out off 49 balls against the United States of America (USA) in the opening game in Mumbai, the Indian captain managed to amass just 158 runs in his remaining eight innings, yet steered India to winning the title on home soil.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cIt would have been really interesting to see how Surya has interacted with Abhishek (Sharam) and Sanju (Samson) over the last few weeks. That\u2019s where the real stories will come out on true leadership,\u201d he added.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cI know as a former captain, when you\u2019re not batting at your absolute best, captaincy can become really difficult. And when you are batting well, captaincy can become really easy,\u201d he concluded. <\/p>\r\n\r\n