Sanju Samson recalls Rohit Sharma’s advice after T20 World Cup 2026 omission

By Rohan Gupta — 21 July 2026 — 4 min read

Initial Disappointment and Rohit Sharma’s Reassurance

Sanju Samson, the wicketkeeper-batter, recently shared insights into a challenging period during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. He recounted how he initially struggled to accept the advice offered by Rohit Sharma after being excluded from India’s playing XI in the later stages of the tournament. This came after a disappointing five-match T20I series against New Zealand leading into the World Cup.

Despite Samson’s struggles, Rohit Sharma conveyed a message of encouragement, assuring him that his opportunity would arise. Rohit reportedly told Samson, “Dukhi mat ho bhai. It is a long tournament, kabhi bhi mauka aa sakta hai.” This translates to, “Don’t be disheartened, brother. It is a long tournament. You’ll get your chance. The opportunity can come anytime.”

Reflecting on that moment, Samson admitted that he found it difficult to believe Rohit’s words at the time. He stated, “To be honest, I didn’t believe him at that time. Sorry. He might have spoken from his heart or from his experience, but that day I wasn’t able to see what he was seeing. You could see it on my face; I was a bit off that day.”

The disappointment lingered for the Kerala batter even as India’s World Cup campaign commenced. He mentioned that it typically takes him at least a week to recover from such setbacks, and his feelings were evident. “Our World Cup campaign started two days after the New Zealand series, and it takes me at least a week to recover. I don’t like to bottle things up, so it shows on my face if I’m not feeling 100 per cent. I went through that phase for four or five days before getting myself back on track,” Samson added.

Rediscovery and Redemption

Samson explained that this period of being dropped from the team eventually became an opportunity for introspection and self-improvement. He began to question his motivations for playing cricket and his overall purpose in the sport. “You know you’ve failed, so what’s next? You’re at the bottom, so from there, you can only go up. I started working on myself mentally. I started asking myself questions, why do I play cricket? What’s my purpose? It was like I was rediscovering myself while the World Cup was going on. And then everything just came back,” he elaborated.

Prior to the World Cup, Samson was aware that Ishan Kishan had moved ahead of him in the team’s pecking order. He noted that Kishan’s strong performances, including winning the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for Jharkhand, had put him in a different league. Samson acknowledged the reality of the situation, stating, “I could clearly see that Ishan was moving above me in the pecking order.” He also reflected on his own performance in the New Zealand series, where he scored 24, 6, 6, 10, and 0 in five matches, contrasting it with an in-form batter who might score 70 or a hundred. This led him to believe that his World Cup chances were over, and his only option was to quietly support the team.

This period of self-reflection and mental regrouping ultimately led to a remarkable turnaround for Samson. He delivered a match-winning performance against the West Indies in a Super 6 match, which was a crucial virtual quarterfinal for India. During this game, he scored 96 not out. He described this as one of those days where everything felt right, similar to some of his centuries in the IPL and for India.

Samson further elaborated on his approach during that critical innings against the West Indies. He noted that while he typically aims to accelerate after the powerplay as an opener, the game dictated a different strategy. “But in that game, every time I felt it was time to attack, a wicket would fall at the other end. That’s when I realised the game is the biggest teacher. The game tells you what to do,” he explained.

His resurgence culminated in a significant role in India’s victory in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which was held on home soil. Samson finished the tournament as the Player of the Tournament. He was India’s highest run-scorer and the third-highest overall, accumulating 321 runs in just five matches. He also set a tournament record by hitting 24 sixes, the most by any batter in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.

Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Rohan Gupta

Sports Reporter