Sanju Samson has revealed how Rohit Sharma’s reassuring words during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 initially failed to convince him after being left out of India’s playing XI in the latter stages of the tournament. However, the wicketkeeper-batter eventually rediscovered his confidence and responded with one of the defining knocks of India’s campaign against the West Indies.After Samson endured a disappointing five-match T20I series against New Zealand heading into the World Cup, Rohit made it clear that the Kerala batter still had an important role to play in India’s campaign.“Dukhi mat ho bhai. It is a long tournament, kabhi bhi mauka aa sakta hai.” (“Don’t be disheartened, brother. It is a long tournament. You’ll get your chance. The opportunity can come anytime,”) Rohit had told Samson while embracing him.
‘I didn’t believe Rohit at that time’
Reflecting on that difficult phase, Samson admitted he was too disappointed to believe his captain’s words at the time.“To be honest, I didn’t believe him at that time. Sorry. He might have spoken from his heart or from his experience, but that day I wasn’t able to see what he was seeing. You could see it on my face; I was a bit off that day,” Samson told JioStar.The Kerala batter said the disappointment lingered even after India’s World Cup campaign began, making it difficult for him to move on immediately.“Our World Cup campaign started two days after the New Zealand series, and it takes me at least a week to recover. I don’t like to bottle things up, so it shows on my face if I’m not feeling 100 per cent. I went through that phase for four or five days before getting myself back on track,” he added.
‘I started rediscovering myself’
Samson said the setback eventually turned into an opportunity for self-reflection, helping him reconnect with his purpose as a cricketer.“You know you’ve failed, so what’s next? You’re at the bottom, so from there, you can only go up. I started working on myself mentally. I started asking myself questions, why do I play cricket? What’s my purpose? It was like I was rediscovering myself while the World Cup was going on. And then everything just came back,” Samson said.
Redemption of Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson scripted one of the greatest redemption stories in T20 World Cup history, finishing as the Player of the Tournament as India lifted the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on home soil. After initially missing out on the playing XI following a lean run of form, Samson fought his way back into the side and ended the tournament as India’s highest run-scorer and the third-highest overall, amassing 321 runs in just five matches at an outstanding average of 80.25 and a blistering strike rate of 199.37. He also smashed a tournament-record 24 sixes, the most by any batter in a single T20 World Cup edition.