Sanju Samson and Rohit Sharma (Agency photo)
Sanju Samson has emerged as one of India’s biggest heroes in the T20 World Cup 2026 after putting in two winning performances in crucial moments. The wicketkeeper-batsman made his debut in the must-win Super 8 match against the West Indies cricket team, smashing an unbeaten 97 to take India home.
He then followed that up with another vital contribution in the semi-final against the England Cricket Team, scoring 89 to help India book a place in the final.After Samson’s brilliant knock against West Indies, the International Cricket Council shared a touching moment on social media with Rohit Sharma cheering on the Kerala pacer earlier in the tournament. The clip showed Rohit offering reassurance ahead of India’s opening match against the US national cricket team, a match in which Samson was not in the squad.
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“Dukhi mat ho bhai. It’s a long tournament, kabhi bhi mauka aa sakta hai. (“Don’t get discouraged. It’s a long tournament. You will get your chance. The opportunity can come at any time),” Rohit said to Samson as he hugged him.
reconnaissance
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Samson did not start the tournament in India’s XI after struggling during the five-match T20I series against the New Zealand national cricket team ahead of the World Cup. However, the 31-year-old eventually got his chance during a group stage match against the Namibian national cricket team when Abhishek Sharma was ruled out with a stomach infection. Once Abhishek recovered, Samson found himself out of the side again.
His comeback came at the beginning of the Super 8 stage when the team management decided to shuffle the opening set after off-spinners repeatedly troubled Abhishek Sharma and
Ishan Kishan
. Since regaining his place, Samson has seized the opportunity with both hands and is now among the top contenders for the Championship’s Player of the Year award.Ahead of the final against the New Zealand national cricket team at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Rohit, who serves as the brand ambassador for the tournament, explained why he felt compelled to speak to Samson before the campaign began.
Based on his own experiences of being left out of the 2011 World Cup squad, Rohit said he understands the emotional challenge of waiting on the bench.“I can sometimes feel the pulse of a player. I was myself in that place, you know, when you’re in a tournament like that, and my chances don’t come, it’s important that I stay focused and try to do the right things and not get frustrated about not getting the opportunity, and that’s what I felt with him,” Rohit said in a video shared by the ICC on Instagram.Interestingly, Samson was also part of India’s victorious squad in the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup but did not get any caps during that campaign. However, this time, he has made a huge impact and currently stands third in the list of India’s top run-scorers in the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup, behind Ishan Kishan and
Suryakumar Yadav
.Rohit admitted he could sense Samson’s disappointment at the start of the tournament and wanted to make sure the batsman remained mentally prepared when the opportunity finally came.“Because he was constantly playing for India and then he was dropped just before the World Cup started, you know, I just wanted to tell him that the tournament is long and funny things have happened in the past, so I just wanted to reassure him that your chance will come. So it happened in the match which was a crucial match for India, and Blinder played,” Rohit said.So far in the tournament, Samson has been in great form. He averages 77.33 with an explosive strike rate of 201.73. The wicketkeeper-batsman has already bagged two Player of the Match awards and has been shortlisted among the nominees for the Player of the Tournament award.