Sanju Samson played one of the finest knocks in T20 World Cup history, as his unbeaten 97 off 50 balls helped India chase down a 196-run target at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, in what was a must-win game for both teams.

Is Sanju Samson's fandom as immense as the craze for MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma? Dinesh Karthik definitely thinks in the affirmative, saying that the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter is the most loved cricketer in the country as the Men in Blue gears up for their T20 World Cup semi-final clash against England at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, March 5.

Karthik opined that Samson has a fantastic story, which connects instantly with fans. While elaborating on this, the former India wicketkeeper said that Samson has had to go through various ups and down in his career and manage the pressure of expectations.

“Sanju Samson is a fantastic story, I feel. Yes, he played that wonderful innings. He is someone who has always been an enigma. People have loved him. He is, for me, the most loved cricketer," Karthik said while speaking to Sky Sports.

“Virat [Kohli], Rohit [Sharma], [MS] Dhoni, he seems to have that kind of fan following.

There is something about how he carries himself. What I’ve liked in that story is that he has seen plenty of ups and downs. The weight and burden of expectations has not been easy on him, even though he is so talented. That day, that ground, after the three months he had, they almost had to thrust him in, and he did what he did in Calcutta,” he added.

Samson lost his place in the side after scoring just 46 runs in five matches against New Zealand in the T20I series that preceded the World Cup. However, Karthik mentioned that he would have kept the 31-year-old in the side, purely because of the match-ups. 

Indian batters, especially the left-handers, have not been at their best against off-spinners, an issue Samson's presence has seemingly neutralised.

“I would have gone for him purely for matchups. Off-spinners were really troubling India.

They were constantly not getting those starts that they get. The pitches have been hard but they want to live up to the reputation and that did not work. Off-spinners troubled Abhishek. He did not have the conviction that he normally has. I feel that’s got to do with the fact that he got ill at the wrong time. I can look at him and feel like he lacks a bit of muscle," said Karthik.