Sanju Samson reflects on Rohit Sharma’s advice during T20 World Cup 2026
Sanju Samson has shared insights into a challenging period during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, where he initially struggled to accept Rohit Sharma’s words of encouragement after being omitted from India’s playing XI. Despite his initial disappointment, Samson ultimately found his form, delivering a significant performance against the West Indies and concluding the tournament as the Player of the Tournament.
Prior to the World Cup, Samson experienced a difficult five-match T20I series against New Zealand. During this time, Rohit Sharma reassured the Kerala batter that he still had a crucial role to play in India’s campaign. Rohit’s message to Samson was, “Don’t be disheartened, brother. It is a long tournament. You’ll get your chance. The opportunity can come anytime.”
Samson admitted that he was too disheartened at the time to fully believe his captain’s words. He recalled, “To be honest, I didn’t believe him at that time. Sorry. He might have spoken from his heart or from his experience, but that day I wasn’t able to see what he was seeing. You could see it on my face; I was a bit off that day.”
Overcoming Disappointment and Rediscovery
The disappointment lingered for Samson even as India’s World Cup campaign commenced, making it difficult for him to move past the setback immediately. He explained that it typically takes him at least a week to recover from such phases. “Our World Cup campaign started two days after the New Zealand series, and it takes me at least a week to recover. I don’t like to bottle things up, so it shows on my face if I’m not feeling 100 per cent. I went through that phase for four or five days before getting myself back on track,” Samson stated.
This period of introspection eventually became an opportunity for self-reflection, helping Samson to reconnect with his fundamental purpose as a cricketer. He questioned his motivations, asking, “why do I play cricket? What’s my purpose?” This process of rediscovery occurred concurrently with the World Cup. “It was like I was rediscovering myself while the World Cup was going on. And then everything just came back,” he added.
Samson also acknowledged that Ishan Kishan had moved ahead of him in the pecking order when the T20 World Cup 2026 began. He reflected on his own performance in the New Zealand series, where he had low scores, while Kishan had performed exceptionally well, even winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Jharkhand. Samson noted, “Anyone would prefer an in-form batter. It was clear that the World Cup was done for me. Whatever had to happen had happened, and the only thing I could do was sit quietly and clap.”
A Remarkable Turnaround
Samson’s journey in the T20 World Cup became a significant redemption story. He finished the tournament as the Player of the Tournament, contributing to India’s victory on home soil. After initially being out of the playing XI, he fought his way back into the side and emerged as India’s highest run-scorer and the third-highest overall.
He amassed 321 runs in five matches, maintaining an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37. Samson also set a tournament record by hitting 24 sixes, the most by any batter in a single T20 World Cup edition. His performances included scores of 96 not out, 89, and 89 in the last three matches for India, which included the semifinal and final.
A pivotal moment in his resurgence was a match-winning 96 not out against the West Indies in a Super 6 match, which served as a virtual quarterfinal for Team India. Samson described this innings as one of those days where “everything just feels right,” and he learned to adapt his game based on the match situation. He noted that while he typically aims to attack after the powerplay, the fall of wickets at the other end during that game taught him to let the game dictate his approach.
Samson had been traded to Chennai Super Kings from Rajasthan Royals for Rs 18 crore ahead of IPL 2026.
His impressive comeback culminated in India lifting the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup trophy.
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Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
