Indian Sanju Samson (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Sanju Samson may not have started the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 as a regular in India’s squad, but the Kerala pacer has since turned the tournament into an unforgettable one with decisive performances in crucial moments.The 31-year-old right-hander has performed when it matters most, producing match-winning knocks, including an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies cricket team and 89 in the semi-final against the England cricket team. Despite his recent heroics, Samson was not part of India’s starting XI during the group stage. His form dipped in the series against the New Zealand national cricket team before the tournament, which kept him out of the team initially.
India in the T20 World Cup final: Small contributions that make a huge impact
Samson only eventually featured in the 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 phase. With off-spinners bothering Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, the team management decided to bring Samson back into the side in order to change the pace of the innings. Since his return to the XI, he has produced a string of impressive knocks and emerged as one of the standout Indian players in the competition.
His impressive form has now earned him a nomination for Player of the Tournament. Samson is the only Indian player shortlisted. Other contestants are Will Jakes, Sahibzada Farhan, Lungi Ngidi,
Aiden Markram
Rasheen Ravindra, Tim Seifert, and Shadley van Schalkwyk.The shortlist was released by the International Cricket Council soon 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 he was dropped by England captain Harry Brook for 15 overs. The postponement proved costly for England as the Indian batsman went on to score 89 runs off just 42 balls, smashing seven sixes along the way. The knock also helped him surpass Rohit Sharma’s record of the most number of sixes by an Indian in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. Samson now has 16 points in the tournament, surpassing Rohit’s tally of 15.So far in the competition, Samson has amassed 232 runs, 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 successive matches, first against the West Indies and then against England. However, after the semi-final win, Samson insisted that the honor should have gone to the fast bowler
Jasprit Bumrah
who conceded only 33 points in four times in a high-scoring competition in which nearly 500 points were scored.“All the credit goes to Jasprit Bumrah, a once-in-a-generation world class bowler. I think that’s what he did today. This (award) should go to him, actually. If we didn’t play like this in the death overs, I think I wouldn’t be standing here,” Samson said after winning the award.With their win in the semi-final, India have secured a place in the final, where the Suryakumar Yadav-led team will take on the New Zealand national cricket team at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, March 8.