Sanju Samson reflects on Rohit Sharma's advice aft...

By Priya Nair — 21 July 2026 — 4 min read

Initial Disappointment and Rohit Sharma’s Counsel

Sanju Samson, the wicketkeeper-batter, has shared insights into a challenging period during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. After being excluded from India’s playing XI in the later stages of the tournament, Samson recalled a conversation with Rohit Sharma. Sharma had offered words of encouragement, telling Samson, “Dukhi mat ho bhai. It is a long tournament, kabhi bhi mauka aa sakta hai.” This translates to, “Don’t be disheartened, brother. It is a long tournament. You’ll get your chance. The opportunity can come anytime.” However, Samson admitted that he was too disappointed at the time to fully grasp Sharma’s perspective.

Samson confessed that he did not believe Sharma’s words initially. He stated, “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.” This sentiment followed a disappointing five-match T20I series against New Zealand leading up to the World Cup. The disappointment lingered, making it difficult for him to move past the setback immediately.

The Kerala batter explained that the World Cup campaign began shortly after the New Zealand series, and it typically takes him about a week to recover from such phases. He noted that he prefers not to conceal his emotions, so his feelings were evident if he was not performing at his best. Samson indicated that he experienced this difficult period for four or five days before he managed to regain his focus.

Rediscovery and Redemption

Samson viewed the initial setback as an opportunity for self-reflection, which helped him reconnect with his fundamental purpose as a cricketer. He questioned his motivations for playing cricket and sought to understand his purpose. This period of introspection allowed him to rediscover himself even as the World Cup was in progress. He described this process as being at rock bottom, from which the only direction was upward.

During this phase of rediscovery, Samson acknowledged that he had been overdoing things, and his wife’s advice about the importance of happiness and mental well-being resonated with him. He realized that being in a good mental space was more crucial than excessive practice. He also observed that Ishan Kishan had moved ahead of him in the pecking order, especially after Kishan’s strong performances, including winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Jharkhand.

Samson reflected on his own performance in the New Zealand series, where he had scores of 24, 6, 6, 10, and 0. He contrasted this with Kishan’s immediate impact, scoring 70-odd and later a century in a series. He understood that an in-form batter would be preferred, and at that point, he felt his World Cup chances were over, leaving him to quietly support the team.

Comeback and Player of the Tournament Recognition

Despite the initial challenges, Samson made a remarkable comeback, playing a significant role in India’s victory in the T20 World Cup 2026. He emerged as the Player of the Tournament, finishing as India’s highest run-scorer and the third-highest overall. He amassed 321 runs in just five matches, maintaining an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37. He also hit a tournament-record 24 sixes, the most by any batter in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.

His redemption story included a match-winning innings of 96 not out against the West Indies in a Super 6 match, which was a crucial virtual quarterfinal for India. Samson described this game as one where everything felt right, similar to some of his previous centuries in the IPL and for India. He noted that he prepared much better for that particular game after the Zimbabwe match.

During the innings against the West Indies, Samson typically aims to accelerate after the powerplay. However, he observed that wickets fell at the other end whenever he intended to attack, leading him to adapt his strategy. This experience reinforced his belief that the game itself teaches a player what actions to take in a given situation.