Sanju Samson he has revealed how Rohit SharmaThe encouraging words he spoke at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 initially failed to convince him after he was dropped from India’s playing XI at the end of the tournament. However, the wicketkeeper-batsman eventually regained his confidence and responded with a knock that produced India against West Indies.After Samson endured a frustrating five-match T20I series against New Zealand heading into the World Cup, Rohit made it clear that the Kerala batsmen still play a vital role in India’s campaign.“Dukhi mat ho bhai. It’s a long race, kabhi bhi mauka aa sakta hai.” (“Don’t give up, bro. It’s a long race. You’ll get your chance. Chances can come anytime,” Rohit told Samson as he hugged him.
‘I didn’t trust Rohit at that time’
Reflecting on the difficult moment, Samson admitted that he was too upset to believe the pilot’s words at the time.“Honestly, I didn’t believe him at that time. I’m sorry. He must have spoken from his heart or what happened to him, but that day I couldn’t see what he was seeing. You could see it on my face; I was a little bit that day,” Samson told JioStar.The Kerala batsmen said the frustration continued even after India’s World Cup campaign began, making it difficult for him to make immediate progress.“Our World Cup work started two days after the New Zealand series, and it takes me at least a week to recover. I don’t like to sugarcoat things, so it shows on my face if I don’t feel 100 percent. I went through that phase for four or five days before I brought myself,” he added.
‘I started to realize myself’
Samson said the setback turned into an opportunity for self-reflection, which helped 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 to catch myself mentally. I started asking myself, ‘How do I play cricket?’ And then everything just came back,” said Samson.
Redemption of Sanju Samson
Sanju Samson wrote one of the greatest redemption stories in T20 World Cup history, finishing as Player of the Tournament as India lifted the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on home soil. After missing the playing XI due to fitness, Samson fought his way back into the side and finished the tournament as India’s highest run-scorer and third all-rounder, scoring 321 runs in just five matches at an average of 80.25 and a devastating strike rate of 199.37. He also broke the record of 24 matches, the most by any batsman in a single format of the T20 World Cup.