Former India head coach Rahul Dravid hailed Sanju Samson’s inspirational comeback during India’s successful campaign for the 2026 T20 World Cup. Dravid said his journey through years of inconsistency and failure made his rise all the more satisfying.
Samson started the tournament out of the playing XI India experimented with different combinations during the group stage. Speaking about JioHotstar, Dravid said it was rewarding to see the batter finally performing on the biggest stage after spending years moving in and out of the national side. I am talking to JioHotstar during the BCCI Naman Awards On March 15 in Mumbai, Dravid reflected on Samson’s journey and explained how the Kerala batter endured the long and arduous journey.
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“It was really nice to see Sanju pull it all together in those last three games which were very important for India. For a long time Sanju has been in and out of the team, he has performed well, he has had tough times and it was really good to see someone who has worked so hard achieve success at such a critical stage for Indian cricket,” he said.
Dravid has closely watched Samson’s growth over the years. The former coach included him in India’s squad that won the 2024 T20 World Cup, although Samson did not play a single match in that edition. Dravid also worked with him in the IPL when he coached Rajasthan Royals during the 2024 and 2025 seasons, with Samson leading the series as captain.
India eventually won the T20 World Cup in 2026and became the first team in history to successfully defend the title. The team achieved success on home soil.
HOW WAS SANJU SAMSON’S ARCH REDEMPTION?
Samson’s World Cup story began quietly on the sidelines as he spent the first matches out of the playing XI while India evaluated their combinations.
However, when the knockout stages came, the team management entrusted him with a key role at the top of the order and Samson jumped at the chance.
His breakthrough moment came during the must-win Super 8 match against West Indies in Kolkata. Samson produced a sensational unbeaten 97 which kept India’s campaign alive and marked the beginning of his incredible run in the tournament.
He followed that up with another innings in the semi-final, scoring 89 to take India into the title race.
When the final arrived, Samson again fell under pressure with a composed 89, which helped India post an impressive total and eventually lift the trophy.
In just five innings in the tournament, Samson amassed 321 runs. It was the highest tally by an Indian in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.
Despite coming close to a century on numerous occasions, Samson has repeatedly downplayed personal milestones, stressing that team success is far more important.
By the end of the tournament, his influence was undeniable. Samson was named player of the tournament despite featuring in only five matches, completing one of the most remarkable redemption arcs in recent Indian cricket history.
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Issued by:
Debodinna Chakraborty
Published on:
16 Mar 2026 09:36 IST
