Sanju Samson, front center, congratulates head coach Gautam Gambhir (PTI Photo) Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has long been an admirer of Sanju Samson, who recently won the Player of the Tournament award as India won a record third T20 World Cup title. Reflecting on the rise of the wicket, Tharoor recalled telling a young Samson that he could become the next MS Dhoni.“I feel immense pride. I first met him when he was 14, a young club cricketer with a big smile and immense talent who was already excelling at the wicket and batting. I somewhat haughtily told him he would be the next Dhoni,” Tharoor said.
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Gautam Gambhir reflects on India’s World Cup win and Sanju Samson’s support in the tournament However, former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir later advised Tharoor that Samson did not need to emulate anyone else and instead forge his own path. Gambhir, even before he became India’s head coach, has consistently supported Samson. In 2020, he called him “not only the best wicketkeeper-batsman in India, but also the best young batsman in India”.“Years later, Gambhir corrected me and said he may not be the next Dhoni; he will be the one and only Sanju Samson – and that’s exactly what he has become,” Tharoor added.Dhoni remains the benchmark for wicket-keeper batsmen, arriving on the international stage as a successful top-order batsman before becoming one of India’s finest finishers and middle-order captains, winning all three major ICC white-ball trophies.Samson, meanwhile, struggled with form in the lead-up to the T20 World Cup and was even benched before returning for the crucial Super 8 match against Zimbabwe. He then followed that performance with three consecutive half-centuries: 97* against the West Indies, 89 against England and 89 against New Zealand in the final, consistently anchoring India’s innings and guiding them to the title defence.“He is a tremendous success – a quiet, humble, unassuming and effective leader,” Tharoor said. “He has led Rajasthan Royals very well over the years and has brought stability to the Indian top order. Even during his difficult phases, I have always felt that when he folds, his core talent shines through.”Recalling Samson’s semi-final and final matches, Tharoor added, “He scored 89 in both matches before being dismissed while playing selflessly for the team. He could have played conservatively but chose to step up, showing the selfless, talented and dedicated nature of Sanju Samson.”
Sanju Samson’s record T20 World Cup 2026 campaign
Sanju Samson’s stellar campaign in the 2026 FIFA World Cup T20 rewrote the record books. He scored 321 runs in just five innings, surpassing Virat Kohli’s long-standing record of 319 runs in the 2014 T20 World Cup for the most runs by an Indian in a T20 World Cup, and set a new benchmark for most sixes in a single World Cup with 24.Samson also broke several other records, including most runs for India in consecutive innings, most runs in T20 World Cup knockout matches, and India’s highest score in a T20 World Cup final and in a chase. His blend of power hitting, composure under pressure and match-winning instincts made him a standout player of the tournament. With these performances, Samson not only helped India win their third T20 World Cup title but also elevated himself to the elite group of T20 cricket legends.
