New Delhi, March 11 -- Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir explained why he backed Sanju Samson, the 'Player of the Tournament' in the recently concluded ICC T20 Men's World Cup, despite the batter's poor show in the home series against New Zealand in January.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Gambhir said he backed Sanju Samson because he believed the batter has a lot to offer the team, adding that a lean patch is temporary and referring to his struggles with the bat during the New Zealand series before the T20 World Cup.

"I backed him because I felt that there's a lot that Sanju Samson can deliver for the team, and it was never about that. Sometimes, people go through a lean run. I think in the series against New Zealand, he went throu...