Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: Batting legend Sunil Gavaskar believes life has “come full circle” for Sanju Samson after the wicketkeeper-batter scripted one of the most remarkable turnarounds in Indian cricket during the team’s historic ICC Men’s T20 World Cup triumph.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!Samson, who began the tournament on the bench, emerged as the player of the tournament after producing three defining knocks in India’s knockout matches, including the semifinal against England and the final against New Zealand.Reflecting on Samson’s journey, Gavaskar said the Kerala batter had transformed adversity into the defining moment of his career.
“Life has come full circle for Sanju Samson,” Gavaskar said on Star Sports. “Before the 2026 T20 World Cup, he had a terrible series against New Zealand. He was dropped, then after the T20 World Cup started, he got a chance to play against Namibia, but his knock wasn’t enough to keep his spot.”Samson’s early struggles saw him sidelined again before India handed him another opportunity in the Super 8 stage.“He next played directly against Zimbabwe in the Super 8, but his real redemption began against West Indies in a virtual quarter-final,” Gavaskar explained.ALSO READ: ‘Samson is a combination of Kohli & Rohit’: Kumble after T20 WC masterclassThat innings sparked a sensational run. Samson followed up with a match-winning 97 not out against West Indies, an attacking 89 against England in the semifinal, and another 89 in the final against New Zealand, powering India to a commanding total before they sealed a crushing 96-run victory in Ahmedabad.Gavaskar emphasised that such performances in high-pressure situations define a cricketer’s legacy.“These games decide your fate and will define his career. Playing clutch knocks in high-pressure games takes something special,” he said.“To have the scar of failure and then play the best knocks of your career in three back-to-back high-pressure games — that is Sanju Samson.”The former India captain also highlighted the magnitude of India’s achievement in defending their world title.“Winning ICC trophies is not easy. Bilateral dominance is different. ICC tournaments have zero margin for error,” Gavaskar said. “Winning the T20 World Cup back-to-back is a massive achievement. This is the best moment in Indian cricket history.”
