WATCH: Sanju Samson pulls off a thriller stumping; showcases wicketkeeping brilliance in Vijay Hazare Trophy
Usually seen mesmerising the fans with his elegant strokeplay, Sanju Samson on Sunday (December 12) showcased his brilliance with the gloves in a round 4 Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021-22 game.
Samson, leading Kerala against Chattisgarh in an important Elite Group D encounter, was seen completing a thriller of a stumping dismissal.
The Kerala wicketkeeper-batter was at his best with the gloves in the match against Chattisgarh, as he sent the opposition’s well-set opener Sanjeet Desai back with his exciting piece of glovework.
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Sanju Samson inflicted a brilliant stumping dismissal for Kerala in the VJHT.
Sanju Samson displays wicketkeeping brilliance in VJHT 2021-22
The dismissal took place in the 20th over of the Chattisgarh innings. Having lost an early wicket without a run on the board, the Sanjeet and No.3 batter Harpreet Singh stitched an important partnership to revive their side.
But just when the 92-run stand was threatening to take the game away from Kerala, they got a much-needed breakthrough when skipper Sanju Samson and medium fast-bowler MD Nidheesh combined superbly to send Sanjeet back.
Nidheesh ran up to bowl the fourth delivery of the 20th over and ended up bowling one down the leg side. However, Sanjeet, who was looking to flick the pacer through the on-side, lost his balance and ended up losing his footing.
This is when Sanju Samson showed his fantastic agility and wicketkeeping skills by taking advantage of Sanjeet’s slip at the crease. The moment Sanjeet stepped outside the batting crease, Samson quickly dislodged the bails and inflicted a timely dismissal for his side.
How brilliant is this stumping by Sanju Samson in the VHT game today
Sanju Samson#VijayHazareTrophypic.twitter.com/SsvS2nroNl
— Rohit Sankar (@imRohit_SN) December 12, 2021
What stood out in the moment were Samson’s excellent footwork and soft hands. He collected the ball swiftly, before shifting across to the leg-side in momentum and then taking the bails off with his quick hands.
It was also the dismissal that kickstarted a collapse. Kerala went on to dismiss Chattisgarh for just 189 in 46.2 overs despite them being 93/2 at one stage in the 20th over.
Samson’s men later went on to chase the target comfortably, winning by 5 wickets with more than 15 overs to spare.
The resounding victory took Kerala to the top of the Elite Group D points table, with three wins and one loss. They play Uttarakhand in their last group encounter on Tuesday (December 14) in Rajkot.