4 min readMumbaiUpdated: Mar 6, 2026 08:04 AM IST
A few weeks before the start of the T20 World Cup, Sanju Samson had lost his place in India’s playing XI, with Ishan Kishan cementing his place as Abhishek Sharma’s opening partner.
But in the space of the last week, things have turned around for him. Drafted back into the team for the crucial game against Zimbabwe, the 31-year-old has grabbed his opportunities, playing a defining role in the semi-final against England on Thursday and in the crunch match against West Indies in Kolkata on Sunday.
The India opener revealed that stepping away from the outside noise and returning to the basics of his game helped him navigate one of the most challenging phases of his career before producing a decisive performance on the T20 World Cup stage.
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“I think when hard times were coming, my close people – the people whom I love and support – they were with me,” he said. “I closed all my windows, I shut down my phone, I was not on social media – I am still not on social media. So less noise, less people interacting with me really helped me focus in the right direction, and I am very happy with how things are going.”
“I think that was very challenging for me. “I definitely wanted to come and do what I am trying to do now for the country – contribute and win games in the World Cup. But I think I was trying a bit too much in the New Zealand series. I wanted to make an impact and get into the XI for the World Cup here.
“But you know this format – this cricket can get very funny. Even the best in the world actually struggle to score runs in this format. So I had to respect the game. I had to come back to my basics and work a bit more from my basics,” Samson said in the post-match press conference.
THALA 🤝 CHETTA
Sanju Samson gave us a glimpse of that iconic MS Dhoni shot at the Wankhede Stadium! 😍
ICC Men’s #T20WorldCup | FINAL | #INDvNZ | SUN, 8th MAR, 5:30 PM pic.twitter.com/s0OPKMLPzJ
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) March 5, 2026
Samson’s clear thinking also reflected in how he assessed the conditions at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday and adapted accordingly. He revealed that he and Sharma were quick to realise how true the surface was and why India had to post a big score in the first innings.
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“We were talking in the dressing room whether there will be dew in the second innings or not. But whether it came or not, the wicket was looking very good before the toss. Even the covering of grass, I think it was a very true wicket.”
“After the first over, Abhishek and I were talking about how good the wicket was. Abhishek was saying after the powerplay that we should have at least put up 250. That was the wicket,” he said.
While Samson’s innings provided the platform at the top, he also stressed that the team environment had played a significant role in helping players deal with pressure situations during the tournament.
“We are taking care of all our players. We have a really great environment in the dressing room,” he said. “Both our leaders, GG and Surya, have a lot of faith and confidence in Abhishek. We try to help him in the way he actually requires. He has definitely gone through lots of ups and downs in his career. So he is also trying to find a way out, and we all are with him,” he added.
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