Kamal Ghorui
Sanju Samson may not have begun the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 as a regular in India’s playing XI, but the Kerala batter has since turned the tournament into a memorable one with crucial performances at key moments.The 31-year-old right-hander has delivered when it has mattered the most, producing match-defining knocks including an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies cricket team and a blistering 89 in the semi-final against the England cricket team. Despite his recent heroics, Samson was not part of India’s first-choice line-up during the group stage. His form had dipped in the series against New Zealand national cricket team prior to the tournament, which kept him out of the side initially.
Samson eventually featured only in the match against 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 stage. With off-spinners troubling both Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, the team management decided to bring Samson back into the side in order to change the tempo of the innings. Since returning to the XI, he has produced a string of impactful knocks and has emerged as one of India’s standout performers in the competition.His remarkable form has now earned him a nomination for the Player of the Tournament award. Samson is the only Indian player included in the shortlist. The other contenders are Will Jacks, Sahibzada Farhan, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert and Shadley van Schalkwyk.The shortlist was released by the International Cricket Council shortly after India’s dramatic seven-run victory over England in the second semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium.During that match, Samson was given an early lifeline when England captain Harry Brook dropped him on 15. The reprieve proved costly for England as the Indian batter went on to hammer 89 runs from just 42 balls, smashing seven sixes along the way. The knock also helped him surpass Rohit Sharma’s record for the most sixes by an Indian in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. Samson now has 16 sixes in the tournament, going past Rohit’s tally of 15.So far in the competition, Samson has accumulated 232 runs, making him India’s third-highest run-scorer behind Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav.He has also claimed the Player of the Match award in two consecutive games, first against the West Indies and then against England. However, after the semi-final victory, Samson insisted that the honour should have gone to fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who conceded just 33 runs in his four overs in a high-scoring contest where nearly 500 runs were scored.“All credit goes to Jasprit Bumrah, the world-class bowler, once in a generation bowler. I think that’s what he delivered today. This (award) should go to him, actually. If we didn’t bowl that way in the death overs, I think I would not be standing here,” Samson said after winning the award.With the semi-final victory, India secured a place in the final, where the side led by Suryakumar Yadav will face New Zealand national cricket team at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, March 8.
