Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma has praised Sanju Samson ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season. The 32-year-old expressed his deep admiration for the top-order batsman following his recent success during the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2026.
Jitesh will return to action for the Bengaluru franchise during the Indian Premier League. The wicketkeeper played an important role in their first title win last year. He scored 261 runs in 15 matches at an average of 37.29 and a strike rate of 176.35, including a half-century with a best score of 85.
I admire Sanju Samson a lot – Jitesh Sharma
Jitesh Sharma was part of the national T20 squad for most of last year before being left out of the recent World Cup squad. While talking to SportsNext, he shared his honest thoughts about Sanju Samson.
“I am very close to Sanju bhai and I admire him a lot. Later as a cricketer, but first as a human being, he is a very great person. I always wish good things for him, and when something good happened to him, I was very happy. I think he deserves whatever he has earned right now. Whatever achievements he is getting, he really deserves them.”
The Bengaluru player has represented the national team in 16 T20I matches so far. He appeared in seven matches last year before the management changed their team plans. Sharma has scored 162 runs at an average of 18 and strike rate of 151.40.
Sanju Samson played a key role in India’s T20 World Cup 2026 victory
Sanju Samson played a big role in helping the Indian team win the T20 World Cup 2026 trophy. He initially lost his place in the playing eleven after struggling during the home series against New Zealand. However, he got an unexpected opportunity to make a remarkable comeback.
Samson returned to the team after the massive 76-run defeat to South Africa during the Super 8 stage. His inclusion helped change the momentum for the Men in Blue.
The 31-year-old batsman took advantage of the opportunity and played consecutive match-winning innings under pressure. He finished the global campaign as the leading run-scorer for India. He scored 321 runs in five matches at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37.
Sanju Samson played a match-winning inning during the T20 World Cup 2026.
Sanju Samson scored a quickfire 22 off eight balls against Namibia before scoring 24 against Zimbabwe. After this, he scored unbeaten 97 runs in 50 balls against West Indies in the virtual quarter-finals and took the team to the semi-finals. He scored 89 runs in 42 balls against England in the semi-finals.
Sanju Samson scored 89 runs in 46 balls during the final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad. Organizers named him Player of the Tournament for his impact despite appearing in only five matches during the event.
It is noteworthy that the top-order batsman was also a part of the national team that won the T20 World Cup in 2024. However, the team management kept him out during that entire campaign. He had never played a single match in the T20 World Cup before the 2026 edition.
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