Suryakumar Yadav makes his feelings clear after Jasprit Bumrah loses Player of the Match award to Sanju Samson

Sanju Samson was earnest as earnest can be after receiving his second consecutive Player of the Match award at the T20 World Cup, on Thursday night. His magical 89 was the cornerstone around which India erected 253 for seven, the highest team score in a knockout or playoff match in Twenty20 Internationals.

His takedown of pace ace Jofra Archer, who went for two boundaries in the first over of the semifinal and an England record 61 in his four, was a stirring statement of intent and authority, seeing as how Archer had dismissed Samson thrice in a bilateral series in India in January last year, all three times to short-pitched deliveries.

The ‘he’ that Samson was referring to didn’t score a single run in a match that produced 499 bruising, punishing, breathtaking runs. Why, he didn’t get to hold the bat. He also took only one wicket, and even that because of a spectacular catch by Axar Patel, to whom spectacular catches came easily on the night. But he was the only one of the 12 bowlers employed across the sides with an economy of less than 8.3. In a game where the going rate was 12.5! Surely, the award should have been his, right?