Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Sanju Samson has expressed his excitement about finally sharing a dressing room with legendary cricketer MS Dhoni in the upcoming Indian Premier League season. Although Samson has spoken to Dhoni before and met him during national team camps, he says this will be the first time they will actually play together in the same team.“I’ve spoken to Mahi bhai many times over the phone and seen him around during Indian team camps, but this will be the first time I’ll actually play alongside him in a team, so the excitement is very high,” Samson told PTI.
He believes spending time with Dhoni for a full season will be a great learning experience. “Whenever he calls or we meet, there is always something positive to take away. But being with him in a team for two months and seeing first-hand how he approaches cricket and prepares for games will be a huge benefit for me. I’m really happy and see it as a big opportunity to learn from him.”
Still processing India’s T20 World Cup win
Samson also spoke about India’s victory in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, admitting that the moment still feels surreal. The tournament was held in India, and Samson played a key role in the team’s triumph.“Not yet, I am still like, when I get up in the morning, I’m like, ‘has it really happened’. So honestly, that’s the feeling. But I feel that in the coming years, with the quality of players we have in our country, this is going to be repeated. The number of players who are coming up in India is definitely going to do this more and more often,” he said while speaking to broadcasters at the BCCI Awards in New Delhi.Samson was named Player of the Tournament after scoring 321 runs at a strike rate close to 200 in just five innings. His performances included a match-winning 97 not out against the West Indies national cricket team in the Super Eight stage, followed by scores of 89 in the semi-final against the England national cricket team and another 89 in the final against the New Zealand national cricket team.Reflecting on his journey, Samson described it as unpredictable and emotional. He continued, “You can only dream where you want to go, but you can’t definitely ride the path towards it. So my life or my career has been one of the best examples. I definitely wanted to do this a couple of years ago. I want to win a World Cup for my country, but it had its own plan, its own script. So, it’s more like a movie. I enjoyed it.”He explained that his mindset changed once he focused more on helping the team rather than personal goals. “As I said before, I wanted to do something like this, then I got pulled out of my journey, and then suddenly, the team wanted me to come and contribute, and that’s when I actually mentally flipped a bit… I think, before that, in the New Zealand series, the focus was all about me,” he added.
Mohammed Siraj ’s unexpected World Cup story
Samson’s story was not the only surprising one from India’s title win. Fast bowler Mohammed Siraj also experienced an unlikely journey to the trophy. He was not part of the original squad and only joined after Harshit Rana was ruled out with an injury.Reflecting on the moment, Siraj said, “I was not in the initial squad, then I got it, played a game, and now I have been part of two World Cup-winning squads. I would say it’s a miracle for me.”
