Sanju Samson’s laugh is infectious, and so is his batting.
For years, though, his career seemed to be built more on promise than performance, a talent spoken about more than it was realised. He never quite lived up to the early hype that surrounded him when he first appeared on the scene.
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Yet watching Samson bat has always been a treat. There is a lazy elegance to his strokeplay, reminiscent of Rohit Sharma at his most fluent. His movements at the crease are simple and controlled. Sometimes it is just a small back movement or a gentle press of the front foot to shift his balance.
Then come the free-flowing arms, allowing the bat to swing smoothly through the line. That effortless bat flow once caught the eye of West Indies great Brian Lara and turned him into an admirer of Samson’s batting.
Now, years later, Samson seems to be enjoying the moment he and his fans had long waited for.
“I was just waiting with a lot of patience, a lot of inner work, a lot of training and practice. Definitely I should be very grateful, but we still have one more step to go. If we do that, then I think all the work was worth it,” Samson said.
“One more match, then I’ll feel very light.”
The remark came after another sparkling knock in the semi-final.
Relieved after producing back-to-back match-winning innings, Samson knows his job is far from finished. India became the first defending champion to reach the final largely because of Samson, who picked up the Player-of-the-Match award in successive games, first for his unbeaten 97 against the West Indies last Sunday and then for thrashing England’s bowlers with an 89 in Thursday’s semi-final.
When India won the T20 World Cup in 2024, Samson spent the entire tournament on the bench. He had waited long for his opportunity, and though his moment had not arrived then, it always felt close.
At the start of this T20 World Cup, the situation seemed familiar. At 31, Samson again found himself outside the playing XI. He was part of the squad but out of form and without a clear way back, especially with other batters performing well.
Now, Samson has carried India into the final of the T20 World Cup. But he is not done yet. The wicketkeeper-batter wants one more match-winning knock to help India secure a record third title.
Samson’s dramatic turnaround in this tournament has mirrored India’s march to the final, driven by two superb knocks under knockout pressure over the past week.
After beginning the tournament on the bench following a disappointing New Zealand series in January, Samson forced his way back into the spotlight. His return to form has also earned him a nomination for the coveted ICC Player of the Tournament award at the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, which concludes at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Interestingly, Samson is the only Indian among the eight players shortlisted by the ICC shortly after India’s thrilling seven-run win over England in the semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday night.
A CAREER OF HITS AND MISSES
Samson’s international journey began with a solitary T20I appearance against Zimbabwe in 2015. That cap ensured he would always be an India international, even as he spent the next few years largely on the fringes while playing for Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils in the IPL. That appearance remained his only international outing for more than five years.
He returned to the Indian setup in 2020 with a loyal base of supporters who believed he could be groomed as MS Dhoni’s successor behind the stumps. But the competition was intense. Wicketkeepers such as KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant were already competing for places across formats.
As India began rotating players, Samson started getting more opportunities. Gradually, the numbers began to grow. The weight of runs he produced in domestic cricket and the IPL became difficult to ignore.
With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retiring from T20 internationals after the 2024 World Cup triumph, the race for places at the top of the order opened up. Samson found himself competing with players such as Ruturaj Gaikwad and Yashasvi Jaiswal.
Even then, he remained on the fringes early in this World Cup. Ishan Kishan opened alongside Abhishek Sharma, while Rinku Singh was preferred in the XI.
Once Samson returned to partner Abhishek Sharma at the top, the impact was immediate. Since his reinclusion, he has averaged 32 while striking at 165 in T20 internationals. His biggest contributions have come under pressure.
LIVING HIS DREAM
Two consecutive Player-of-the-Match performances helped India reach the final against New Zealand. The latest came in the semi-final against England in Mumbai, where he hammered seven sixes in a superb 89.
Not long ago, Samson had lost his place in the Indian team because of a lack of runs. Now he has roared back with scores of 97 not out in a virtual knockout against West Indies and 89 against England in the semi-final, at a time when Abhishek Sharma has struggled for runs.
Despite the applause, Samson insists the job will only be complete if India lift the trophy on Sunday in Ahmedabad.
“It feels really great, or relieving, that I have been trying for a few years to do something like this for my country,” Samson told reporters after India beat England by seven runs in the second semi-final.
This T20 World Cup has turned into a redemption story for Sanju Samson. After years of waiting and uncertainty, he is finally living the dream he had long chased — and he has no intention of waking up yet. One final chapter awaits in Ahmedabad, where Samson now stands just one innings away from completing a hat-trick of mercurial knocks and fulfilling his role as the protagonist in India’s T20 World Cup story.
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