Sanju Samson Opens Up After Mammoth Knock To Push India To T20 World Cup Semi-Finals

Sanju Samson scored an unbeaten 97 against West Indies and emotionally reflected on his struggles after guiding India to the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final.

Sanju Samson delivered one of the finest knocks of his career to guide India into the semi-finals of the 2026 T20 World Cup. The right-handed opener scored an unbeaten 97 off just 50 balls in a virtual quarter-final against the West Indies at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, on Sunday (March 1).

Chasing a massive target of 199, Samson struck 12 fours and four sixes to steer India home. More than the numbers, it was the quality of his innings that stood out. He played with control and confidence, making very few mistakes. There was little luck involved and a lot of maturity, composure and skill on display.

Samson started aggressively and maintained the tempo throughout the innings. Even as wickets fell at the other end, he kept finding boundaries at crucial moments to keep India in the chase.

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After receiving the Player of the Match award, Samson allowed himself to be vulnerable and spoke openly about his struggles.

“I think right from the day I started playing, started dreaming to play for the country, this is the day I was waiting for. And I’m very grateful, very thankful. And I’ve always had a very special journey with lots of ups and downs, but I’ve kept on doubting myself, kept on thinking, what if, what if, can I make it, can I make it? But I kept on believing and thanks to the Lord Almighty for blessing me today,” Samson said, accepting the award in the post-match presentation ceremony.

Samson Credits Senior Players

The Kerala batter also credited his time on the sidelines for shaping him into a better cricketer. He said watching senior players closely helped him learn how to handle pressure situations.

“I have been playing this format for a very long time. I think playing IPL around 10 to 12 years and playing for the country from last 10 years, I have not been playing, but looking from the dugout, learning from the greats like Virat Kohli, from Rohit Sharma. I think it’s very important to observe and learn and see what they were doing. That really helped me. I have only played maybe 50, 60 games, but I’ve seen around 100 games and I’ve seen how the greatest people have finished the games and how do they change their game [style] according to the game [situation],” he said.

Samson admitted that he did not expect such a special performance but stayed focused on his role.

“I never felt that I will do something special like this, but I was just focusing on my role and just keeping one ball at a time and very grateful. I think this is one of the greatest days of my life,” Samson concluded.

With this memorable knock, Samson not only powered India into the semi-finals but also etched his name among the standout performers of the T20 World Cup 2026.