Abhishek Sharma (ICC Photo)

NEW DELHI: India’s star opener Sanju Samson praised his opening partner Abhishek Sharma, describing their partnership as effortless and well-balanced. He said their combination is like “fire and fire”, with both players taking turns to lead the attack. Samson also spoke about their natural Kerala-Punjabi bond that strengthens their understanding. He admired Abhishek’s bravery and composure and said he enjoys their camaraderie both on and off the field.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!“We are not ice and fire, we are fire and fire. Sometimes he fires, sometimes I do. We have that kind of combination going. We have done this since 2024; we have a Kerala-Punjabi friendship in the middle. Everything comes pretty naturally to us, so we do not complicate it. He asks me, ‘How is the ball coming?’ I tell him that the ball is coming normally, and hit it for a six. It is really simple with him. Abhishek is very brave and collected. I love his character. I really love the partnership with him on and off the field,” Sanju Samson said at the India Today Conclave.

Samson also revealed that Indian players were once ‘jealous’ of Abhishek because of his early stardom.“Earlier, the boys used to get jealous because of the cheers for Abhishek. It was Abhishek, Abhishek everywhere. We were like, do people only see him or what? But yes, he is the superstar of the team now. Get married soon, bhai,” he added.Samson and Abhishek tore into the New Zealand bowlers in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final, putting on a 98-run opening partnership to give India a flying start in the powerplay. Their explosive beginning helped India post a massive total of 255 in the final.India created history by securing a record third T20 World Cup title and becoming the first team to successfully defend the trophy and win it on home soil, following a dominant 96-run victory over New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.Samson scripted a remarkable comeback during the T20 World Cup, overcoming inconsistency and time on the bench to finish as India’s leading run-scorer in the tournament. He delivered crucial performances, including a string of half-centuries from the virtual quarterfinal against West Indies to the title clash against New Zealand.Samson scored 321 runs in five innings at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37. He smashed 27 fours and 24 sixes and finished as the third-highest run-scorer of the T20 World Cup.