India’s Sanju Samson (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool) Sanju Samson may not have started the Men’s World T20 2026 as a regular in the Indian XI, but the Kerala batsman has since turned the tournament into a memorable one with key performances at key moments.The 31-year-old right-hander played when it mattered most and produced match-defining knocks including an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies cricket team and a stunning 89 in the semi-final against the England cricket team. Despite his recent heroics, Samson was not part of India’s first-choice squad during the group stage. His form dipped in the pre-tournament series against the New Zealand national cricket team, initially keeping him out.
India in T20 World Cup Final: Small contributions that made a HUGE impact
Samson ended up only featuring in a match against the Namibia national cricket team in New Delhi after Abhishek Sharma was ruled out due to a stomach infection.However, the turning point came during the Super 8 stage. With off-spinners troubling both Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, the team management decided to bring Samson back into the side to change the pace of the innings. Since returning to the XI, he has produced a string of impressive knocks and has emerged as one of India’s best performers in the competition.His remarkable form has now earned him a nomination for the Player of the Tournament award. Samson is the only Indian player shortlisted. Other contenders include Will Jacks, Sahibzada Farhan, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert and Shadley van Schalkwyk.The shortlist was released by the International Cricket Council shortly after India’s dramatic seven-run win over England in the second semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium.During that match, Samson was given an early lifeline when England captain Harry Brook dropped him for 15. The reprieve proved costly for England as the Indian batsman went on to hit 89 runs from just 42 balls, smashing seven sixes along the way. The knock also helped him surpass Rohit Sharma’s record for most sixes by an Indian in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. Samson now has 16 sixes in the tournament, surpassing Rohit’s tally of 15.Samson has amassed 232 runs in the competition so far, making him India’s third-highest run-scorer behind Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav.He also won the Player of the Match award in two consecutive matches, first against the West Indies and then against England. However, after the semi-final win, Samson insisted that the credit should go to fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who conceded just 33 runs in his four overs in a high-scoring match where nearly 500 runs were scored.“All credit to Jasprit Bumrah, the world bowler who bowled once in a generation. I think he did that today. This (award) should actually belong to him. If we didn’t bowl like that in the death overs, I don’t think I would be standing here,” Samson said after receiving the award.With the semi-final victory, India booked their place in the final where the Suryakumar Yadav-led team will face the New Zealand national cricket team at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, March 8.
