India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson enjoyed the perfect redemption arc from being out of the side to winning the player of the tournament in the T20 World Cup 2026. Coming into the ICC event, Sanju was not in India’s primary plans with Ishan Kishan and Abhishek Sharma expected to open the innings.
Prior to the World Cup as well, in the IND vs NZ series, Sanju Samson looked lacklustre, managing just 46 runs in five games at a paltry average of 9.20.
Subsequently, he did not play in the group stages, barring one game against Namibia when Abhishek Sharma was out due to sickness. However, an inconsistent show at the top from Ishan and Abhishek forced the management to bring Sanju back into the fold.
The dynamic right-hander made the most of his second chance and peaked at the right time with three consecutive fifties. He provided clutch performances in the virtual quarter-final against West Indies followed by key contributions in the semis against England and then in the final against New Zealand.
With his batting heroics, Sanju Samson also became only the third cricketer ever after Shahid Afridi in 2009 and Virat Kohli in 2014 to hit fifties in semis and final of a T20 World Cup.
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Following his incredible turnaround in fortunes, Sanju revealed how Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar had stayed in ‘constant contact’ and helped him with imperative guidance.
Speaking during the post-match presentation ceremony after India outclassed New Zealand by 96 runs in the T20 World Cup 2026 Final, Sanju said,
“After the NZ series I was broken, my dreams were completely shattered. And I was thinking what can I do. But God had different plans. And I was rewarded for being brave enough to dream. A lot of former players have reached out to me and tried to help me out. For the last couple of months, I have been in constant contact with Sachin sir. I reached out to him and had big big conversations with him. Getting a guidance from someone like him, what more can you ask for? I am very grateful for everyone who supported me.”
Despite not playing all games, Sanju Samson finished as the top-scorer for India and third overall with 321 runs in five innings at an impressive average of 80.25 and a fiery strike rate of 199.37.
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