Mumbai, March 6 – After Sanju Samson produced another masterful batting performance, helping India defeat England by seven runs in a high-scoring thriller to reach the final of the 2026 T20 World Cup, the wicketkeeper batter remained unfazed about narrowly missing out on a century for the second time in the tournament.
Following his unbeaten 97 off 50 balls to help India defeat the West Indies and reach the semi-finals of the 2026 T20 World Cup, Samson followed up with another stunning 89 runs against England in the semi-final, as India became the first team to reach the T20 World Cup final as defending champions.
"I didn't miss two centuries. I've scored 97 and 89 – that's a very significant achievement," Samson said during the post-match press conference.
Samson will play his first World Cup final on Sunday against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, which the wicketkeeper batter described as "one of the best moments" of his life.
"It means one of the best moments in my life. I'm very grateful for that. I've been playing this format for a long time. I've played around 300 or 400 T20s (328). I've batted in positions 1 to 6 (in the batting order). I've captained the (IPL) franchise (Rajasthan Royals). So I have the experience of knowing what a team demands at any given moment and what my exact role is in this XI. So that clarity definitely helps you to score runs the way you want to," he said.
Samson was not considered a certain starter for the tournament after enduring a lean run during the home T20I series against New Zealand. Ishan Kishan initially opened the batting with Abhishek Sharma at the start of the World Cup, but the team management later reshuffled the order. Samson was promoted to open the innings, while Kishan was moved to No. 3 to provide stability as Abhishek struggled to find form during the tournament.
"It was a very, very challenging period. I definitely wanted to come and do what I'm trying to do now for the country, win games in the World Cup, but I was trying a bit too much in the New Zealand series," he said. "I wanted to make an impact and get into the World Cup XI here, but you know this format – this (T20) 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 work a bit more on my basics," said Samson.
He continued, "When tough times were coming, I think my close people, the people I love and support, were with me. I closed all my windows. I shut down my phone. I wasn't on social media. I still am not on social media, so less noise, less people interacting with me. That really helped me to focus on the right direction and I'm very happy with how I'm going."
In Sunday's title clash, India are aiming to achieve several milestones as they take on New Zealand in Ahmedabad. They are aiming to become the first host team to win the T20 World Cup, the first team to defend the title, and the first to win three T20 World Cup titles.
