Cricket / Sanju Samson Recalls Rohit Sharma’s Reassurance in ICC T20 World Cup Redemption

New Delhi, Jul 21: India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has revealed that he initially struggled to believe Rohit Sharma's reassurance that he would still have a role to play in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 after missing out on the playing XI during the latter stage of the campaign before rediscovering his confidence and producing one of the defining innings of India's campaign against the West Indies.

Looking back on the difficult period following the New Zealand T20I series, Samson admitted he was mentally drained and could not see the path that Rohit envisioned for him.

"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,” Samson told JioStar.

Also read: 'I Could Only Sit Quietly and Clap': Sanju Samson on Missing T20 World Cup 2026

Samson explained that the disappointment of missing out lingered into the early stages of the World Cup, making it difficult for him to move on immediately.

"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,” he added.

The Kerala batter said the setback eventually became an opportunity for self-reflection, prompting him to reassess both his mindset and the reasons that drove him to play the game.

"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,” Samson said.

That renewed perspective laid the foundation for Samson's match-winning innings in the virtual quarter-final against the West Indies, a knock he described as one of those rare days when everything clicked, as he said, "I prepared much better for that game after the Zimbabwe one. There are days I've played in the IPL and for India, and I've scored those centuries, when everything just feels right. It was one of those days. You just enjoy, stay in the moment, stay in the process, and things start happening automatically."

Although his natural instinct is to accelerate after the Powerplay, Samson said the match situation demanded a different approach as wickets kept falling at the other end.

"I also knew it was a very big game for India. After the powerplay, I usually go into fifth gear. I'm an opener, if I get through the Powerplay, and we bat till No. 8, my game plan is to take on the bowling. 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 stated.

Samson also opened up on the emotional celebration that followed the innings, saying it was an expression of gratitude rather than personal triumph, saying, "It's a very private celebration, but it became very public. I'm a very strong believer. I believe in my God, and I know it wasn't me."

The wicketkeeper-batter said there were moments during the knock that even surprised him, reinforcing his belief that he was simply an instrument in helping the team.

"I've played enough innings to know which shots I hit, and then there are some where I wonder, 'How did I hit that one?' I'm just very grateful that it happened through me, that I was able to help the team. That moment will stay with me till my last breath. It was very special,” he mentioned.

(IANS)