Sanju Samson broke out of the shackles and gave a testament to his batting prowess to power India to the T20 World Cup 2026 semifinal with an unbeaten 97* (50) in the IND vs WI Super 8 clash last night (March 1). For Samson, the knock meant extremely pivotal, since he had to constantly fight for his spot in the Indian side.
Following the stellar innings, the Rajasthan Royals Director of High Performance and former India cricketer Zubin Bharucha credited a four-day camp in Kerala that Sanju Samson had in the buildup to the ICC event as the foundation for the batter’s recent heroics.
Bharucha revealed that Sanju had asked him to visit Thiruvananthapuram, and underwent a specially curated training stint to prep for the tournament. The duo worked for four days and nights, practising on all kinds of pitches – red soil, black soil & cement, including different timings at day and under lights. Sanju also practiced facing every variety of bowler – pacers, spinners, and side-arm specialists at the Kerala Cricket Association academy.
Giving details about the camp, Zubin Bharucha told Cricbuzz, “As is often the case with him, the journey began quietly and diligently. A four-day camp in Thiruvananthapuram was organised with a singular objective: to leave no stone unturned in preparation for the World Cup. He trained on multiple surfaces, faced a variety of deliveries, and worked against an array of spinners and fast bowlers – all of whom turned up unquestioningly to bowl to their favourite cricketer.”
He added, “It was preparation as comprehensive as one could design for a World Cup campaign, carefully calibrated to account for the vast and varied conditions across the country. Results against New Zealand did not come immediately. Yet the abiding impression I took from that camp was unmistakable: he was playing some extraordinary cricket shots, and something special felt imminent.”
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From getting dropped to stepping up and guiding India to the semis, Sanju’s redemption arc has been incredible. He started the T20 World Cup 2026 on the sidelines and played just one game in the group stages when Abhishek Sharma was out due to illness. After the Namibia game, Samson was once again on the bench before being called up for the last two Super 8 matches against Zimbabwe and then West Indies.
Prior to the tournament as well, he faced constant competition for his spot. Despite enjoying a stellar 2024 where he hit three centuries and averaged 43.6, he had to sacrifice his opening position for the returning Shubman Gill as T20 vice captain. Nevertheless, a poor showing in the shortest format meant Gill was dropped from the side, which meant Sanju would return to his normal position. However, that was not the case as the management next brought back Ishan Kishan into the T20 fray after a stellar domestic campaign right before the T20 World Cup 2026.
But Abishek and Ishan’s inconsistent outings in the World Cup meant the selectors turned to Sanju and his hard work eventually paid off and how.
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