Team India opening batsman Abhishek Sharma talked about his teammate Sanju Samson after the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 victory. The left-handed batsman also said that having a supporting player like Sanju gives a lot of confidence to the entire Indian national cricket team.
Team India struggled to get an explosive start during the opening matches of the T20 World Cup 2026. However, the team management recalled Samson midway through the event. This change transformed the team’s fortunes, as Sanju scored three match-winning half-centuries.
Sanju Samson has always been a sorted person – Abhishek Sharma
Speaking to India Today, Abhishek Sharma praised Sanju Samson and his behavior in the dressing room. He said that Samson always gives priority to the emotional well-being of his Indian teammates.
Abhishek told India Today, “Sanju bhai has always been a very sorted person. Very loving, very caring person. You know, once you have players like this in your team, you feel you have someone behind you. So he has always been Sanju Samson for us.”
Abhishek faced a tough start to the T20 World Cup 2026, getting out on ducks three times in a row. The Punjab-born cricketer said he focused on recovering from his failures and helping India win the coveted trophy.
“It is not easy to digest. I had a plan, the only goal was to win the ICC trophy for the country. Going through this tournament, it was not the start I wanted. But the team was doing well. My dream was to win the tournament. My goal is not just to win one tournament, but to win many tournaments,” he said.
This also created friction during that period – Samson’s childhood coach
Samson’s childhood coach Zubin Bharucha said the Kerala-born cricketer cares about the comfort of others. However, the coach said friction sometimes arises when competitive cricket demands aggressive self-interest.
“The game, at its most competitive level, demands a certain selfishness. An internal focus. A willingness to put yourself first. These things don’t come naturally to Sanju. He, instinctively, thinks about other people’s comfort – that makes him a remarkable leader, but it also created friction in a period when cricket demanded some tough things from him.”
Sanju Samson makes a great comeback in T20 World Cup 2026
After a poor bilateral series against New Zealand, the team management dropped Sanju Samson for the opening match against the United States. They played only one group-stage match against Namibia after Abhishek Sharma fell ill.
Samson returned for the Super Eight match against Zimbabwe in Chennai. After this, he took India to the semi-finals by playing an inning of 97 runs against West Indies. The right-handed batsman scored 89 against England in the semi-finals and 89 against New Zealand in the final.
Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson stitched a 98-run partnership against New Zealand in just 7.1 overs during the final of the T20 World Cup 2026 in Ahmedabad. Samson won the Player of the Tournament award after scoring 321 runs in five innings at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.38.
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