NEW DELHI: Sanju Samson, who was named the player of the tournament for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, recently spoke about his journey to India’s historic title win. The wicket-keeper batsman played a key role in the tournament, scoring 321 runs in five innings at an average of 80.25 and a success rate of nearly 200. His performances included several match-winning knocks as India lifted the trophy at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad after defeating the New Zealand national cricket team in the final.
Jay Shah calls 2019 to 2026 as the golden era of Indian cricket
Long association with Gautam Gambhir
While talking to the media in Thiruvananthapuram, Samson spoke about his long association with India head coach Gautam Gambhir. According to him, their connection goes back many years to when he played for the Kolkata Knight Riders.“Gauti bhai (Gautam Gambhir) and I have a very old relationship. I think I met him when I was in KKR. He was the captain of the team and he also lives in Delhi. I also played in the same academy where he was… so it’s a very long relationship and what happened from there I think cannot be expressed in words,” he told PTI.Samson’s impressive run in the tournament also helped him surpass Virat Kohli’s record of 319 runs in a single edition of the T20 World Cup by an Indian, which Kohli set in 2014.
An emotional message from Sachin Tendulkar
The 31-year-old also shared that he received a special message from cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar after India’s win.“I got a message from Sachin sir. It was a very emotional message for me,” said Samson.India’s triumph was historic as the Indian national cricket team became the first team to win three T20 World Cup titles and also the first team to successfully defend the trophy on home soil.
Sanju Samson reflects on his journey
Samson described his return to the tournament as one of the most memorable phases of his career. Having previously faced inconsistency and spending time on the bench, he emerged as India’s best player when it mattered most, delivering crucial innings from the Super Eight stage against the West Indies national cricket team to the final.Regarding his approach to the game, Samson said he always focuses on being true to himself and playing for the team.“I’ve never wanted to be unselfish. I’ve always wanted to be myself. So I bring a lot of different qualities, a lot of strengths, a lot of weaknesses. I like to look at cricket as a team sport. So I think we play to win. And if I look at what’s happened in my life recently, I definitely carry a lot of dreams with me. So a lot of young people, a lot of people in their careers don’t look like me like cricket. their own careers, as well as their own lives,” Samson concluded.
