New Delhi, March 9 – Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar lauded Sanju Samson, the key architect of India’s T20 World Cup triumph, for his rise from failure to three outstanding performances, saying that the wicketkeeper batter has achieved a full circle in his career.
At the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, India’s commanding 96-run victory over New Zealand in the final secured their third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title and their second consecutive win. Apart from these two achievements, India also became the first team to win the title on home soil.
“India’s trophy cabinet is now quite full. Winning ICC trophies is not easy. Bilateral dominance is different. ICC tournaments have zero margin for error. You must bring your best every game. It takes skill, not luck. The pressure is huge, and these players represent over a billion people when they step on the field.”
“No team has won back-to-back T20 World Cups, and defending a title is tough. Opposing teams come well prepared. The Associate teams impressed in this edition of the T20 World Cup and created problems for the big teams.
“South Africa and New Zealand were ready. Australia didn’t even qualify for the Super 8. Winning the T20 World Cup back-to-back is a massive achievement. This is the best moment in Indian cricket history,” Gavaskar said on JioStar.
One of the key architects of India’s record-breaking triumph, Sanju Samson, who didn’t play in the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup win and was drafted back into the playing eleven from the Super Eights clash against Zimbabwe.
However, after the must-win clash against the West Indies, where he hit an unbeaten 97, Samson shone in the World Cup with knocks of 89 in the semi-final against England and in the final against New Zealand, winning the Player of the Tournament award.
Overall, Samson amassed 321 runs at an average of 80.25 and a strike-rate of 199.37. Gavaskar credited Samson for playing the best knocks of his career under immense pressure in the knockout stages. “Life has come full circle for Sanju Samson. Before the 2026 T20 World Cup, he had a terrible series against New Zealand. He was dropped, but after the T20 World Cup started, he got a chance to play against Namibia, but his knock wasn't enough to keep his spot.
“He next played directly against Zimbabwe in the Super 8, but his real redemption began against West Indies in a virtual quarter-final. He played a flamboyant innings and looked in complete control. We know how skilled Sanju is. But to perform in a virtual quarter-final, in the semi-final against England, and then in the all-important final against New Zealand, is not easy.
“These games decide your fate and will define his career. Playing clutch knocks in high-pressure games takes something special. Credit to Sanju and the support staff for the right decisions. To have the scar of failure and then play the best knocks of your career in three back-to-back high-pressure games, that is Sanju Samson,” he elaborated.
Another major contributor to India’s march to the title was ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah, who took 4-15 in the final at his home ground and ended the World Cup as the joint leading wicket-taker with 14 wickets.
Former India leg-spinner Piyush Chawla lavished rich praise on Bumrah, calling him “a national treasure”.
“Jasprit Bumrah is rightfully a national treasure. This man can make the best batsman of any opposition have a bad day. He has done that throughout this 2026 T20 World Cup. The way he has bowled in this tournament is nothing short of remarkable. He is the biggest asset of Team India.
“Whenever India needs a wicket in a crucial phase, Bumrah steps up and comes to the rescue. We have seen that more often than not, in tough situations, the captain looks to Bumrah. He knows he is one of the best. He has so many variations and weapons. But knowing when to use which weapon is very difficult to master.
“On this pitch in the final, where the ball was coming nicely onto the bat, Bumrah got all his four wickets using slower deliveries. Other bowlers were giving pace and going for runs. But when Bumrah bowled, right from the first over, his first wicket came with a slower ball. That comes with experience,” he concluded.
