Sanju Samson opens up about Rohit Sharma’s advice after his T20 World Cup 2026 exclusion. Sharma encouraged Samson, saying, “Don’t be disheartened, you’ll get y
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 found it difficult to believe Sharma’s words at that moment, stating, “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.”
The disappointment stemmed from a difficult five-match T20I series against New Zealand leading up to the World Cup. Samson noted that the feeling of being out of form lingered, making it hard for him to immediately move past the setback. He explained that it typically takes him about a week to recover from such phases, and his emotions were evident. “Our World Cup campaign started two days after the New Zealand series, and it takes me at least a week to recover. I don’t like to bottle things up, so it shows on my face if I’m not feeling 100 per cent. I went through that phase for four or five days before getting myself back on track,” Samson elaborated.
Rediscovery and Redemption
Despite the initial struggle, Samson viewed the setback as an opportunity for introspection and self-improvement. He began to question his purpose in cricket, leading to a period of self-rediscovery during the World Cup. “You know you’ve failed, so what’s next? You’re at the bottom, so from there, you can only go up. I started working on myself mentally. I started asking myself questions, why do I play cricket? What’s my purpose? It was like I was rediscovering myself while the World Cup was going on. And then everything just came back,” he shared.
Samson also acknowledged that Ishan Kishan had moved ahead of him in the pecking order at the start of the T20 World Cup 2026. He observed Kishan’s strong performance, which included winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Jharkhand and then performing well for India. Samson reflected on his own scores of 24, 6, 6, 10, and 0 in five matches, contrasting them with Kishan’s impactful performances. He understood that an in-form batter would be preferred, and at that point, he felt his World Cup journey was over, leaving him to quietly support the team.
This period of self-reflection and mental regrouping ultimately led to a significant turnaround for Samson. He made a remarkable comeback into the team, delivering a defining performance against the West Indies in a Super 6 match, which was crucial for India. In this match, he scored 96 not out. He described this innings as one of those days where everything felt right, allowing him to enjoy the moment and let things happen naturally. He noted that despite his usual aggressive approach after the powerplay, wickets falling at the other end taught him to adapt his game plan.
Samson’s resurgence culminated in him being named the Player of the Tournament as India secured the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on home soil. He finished as India’s highest run-scorer and the third-highest overall, accumulating 321 runs in just five matches. His performance included an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37, along with a tournament-record 24 sixes.
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Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
