Sanju Samson has emerged as one of India’s biggest heroes in the T20 World Cup 2026 after producing two match-winning performances at crucial moments. The wicketkeeper-batsman performed brilliantly for the first time in the Super 8 match against the West Indies cricket team and led India to victory by scoring an unbeaten 97 runs. He then made another important contribution in the semi-final against the England cricket team and scored 89 runs to help India secure a place in the final.After Samson’s brilliant innings against West Indies, the International Cricket Council shared a touching moment on social media in which Rohit Sharma encouraged the Kerala batsman in his tournament debut. The clip showed Rohit giving the assurance ahead of India’s opening match against the United States national cricket team, a game in which Samson was not included in the playing eleven.Also see: IND vs NZ T20 World Cup Final Live Score
“Don’t be sad brother. It’s a long tournament, anytime the opportunity comes. (“Don’t be disappointed. It’s a long tournament. You will get your chance. The opportunity can come any time),” Rohit had said while hugging Samson.
voting
How do you feel about the way the Indian team management handled the inclusion of Sanju Samson?
Samson did not start the tournament in India’s playing XI after struggling during the five-match T20I series against the New Zealand national cricket team ahead of the World Cup. However, the 31-year-old finally got his chance during the group-stage clash against the Namibia national cricket team when Abhishek Sharma was ruled out due to a stomach infection. Once Abhishek recovered, Samson again found himself out of the team.His return came at the start of the Super 8 stage when the team management decided to make changes to the starting combination after the off-spinners continued to trouble Abhishek Sharma. Ishan Kishan. Since regaining his place, Samson has grabbed the opportunity with both hands and is now one of the leading contenders for the Player of the Tournament award.Ahead of the final against the New Zealand national cricket team at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Rohit, who is serving as the tournament’s brand ambassador, explained why he felt compelled to speak to Samson before the campaign began. Taking inspiration from his experiences of not getting a place in the 2011 World Cup squad, Rohit said he understands the emotional challenge of waiting on the sidelines.“I can feel the pulse of the player sometimes. I’ve been in that place myself where, you know, when I’ve been in tournaments like this, and my chances haven’t come, it’s important to stay focused and try to do the right things and not get disappointed when I don’t get the chance, and that’s what I felt with him,” Rohit said in a video shared by the ICC on Instagram.Interestingly, Samson was also a part of India’s victorious squad at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024, but he did not get a single game during that campaign. This time, however, he has made a significant impact and is currently India’s third-highest run-scorer behind Ishan Kishan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. Suryakumar Yadav.Rohit admitted that he could understand Samson’s frustration at the start of the tournament and wanted to ensure that the batsman was mentally prepared when the opportunity came.“Because he was playing consistently for India and then he was dropped just before the World Cup started, you know, I just wanted to tell him that it’s a long tournament and strange things have happened in the past, so I just wanted to reassure him that your opportunity will come. So it happened in a game where it was an important game for India, and he played brilliantly,” Rohit said.Samson has been in excellent form so far in the tournament. His average is 77.33 and explosive strike rate is 201.73. The wicketkeeper-batsman has already received two Player of the Match awards and has been selected among the nominees for Player of the Tournament honours.