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Published 15:01 IST, October 25th 2019

Gambhir elated with Samson's inclusion, says it was long overdue

Gautam Gambhir was elated with Sanju Samson's inclusion in the national team for the upcoming series against Bangladesh; he had praised Samson on social media

Reported by: Digital Desk
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Cricketer-turned-politician Gautam Gambhir is a happy man after Sanju Samson was selected in the Indian T20 team for the three-match series against Bangladesh, saying it was "long overdue".Gambhir has been advocating for the talented Kerala cricketer's inclusion in the Indian team for a long time. The series against Bangladesh starts November 3.

READ: 'Good Vibes Only' as Pant meets Dhoni ahead of Bangladesh series

Gambhir praises Samson on Twitter

"This is well & truly through the gap by @IamSanjuSamson!!! Congratulations on being picked in the T20 squad. Soft hands, nimble feet and hopefully a sane head...go Sanju grab ur moment, long overdue," Gambhir tweeted. Read the tweet here. 

Samson played his sole match for India -- a T20 -- in July 2015 when a second-string team toured Zimbabwe. He was 19 then. Since that high, it has been a roller-coaster ride for the wicketkeeper-batsman, who has been dropped from the Kerala team on disciplinary grounds. He has not been consistent enough, has had fitness issues but every now and then, he came up with innings befitting his rich batting talent. One such knock happened earlier this month -- an unbeaten 212 -- the highest individual score in the history of Vijay Hazare Trophy, which eventually paved the way for his return in the national side.

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Sanju Samson breaks records 

Sanju Samson broke the record for the highest runs scored by an individual in a Vijay Hazare Trophy match. Samson scored an unbeaten 212 runs for Kerala in just 129 balls. His double century knock included 21 fours and 10 sixes, which helped Kerala post a total of 377 runs in 50 overs. Goa, however, in reply could score only 273 runs, falling short by more than a hundred runs. Samson's knock won him a lot of praise on the field but also had him garner a lot of positivity on social media. He was praised by experts, analysts, and fans alike. 

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(With PTI Inputs)

Updated 15:32 IST, October 25th 2019

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