2 min readMar 6, 2026 02:36 PM IST
Sanju Samson’s dream turnaround at the T20 World Cup has coincided with leading India’s march into the finals with two superlative knocks in succession under the knockout heat over the last week.
After finding himself on the bench during the start of the tournament after a horror New Zealand series in January, Samson’s dramatic return to form and India’s march to the final has resulted in him being nominated for the coveted ICC Player of the Tournament award at the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026, slated for a finish at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
Interestingly, Samson is the only Indian to be named in the eight-man short-list unveiled by the ICC shortly after India’s humdinger seven-run win over England in the semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday night.
Besides the India wicket-keeper, the ICC have also revealed Will Jacks (England), Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan), Lungi Ngidi (South Africa), Aiden Markram (South Africa), Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand), Shadley van Schalkwyk (USA), and Tim Seifert (New Zealand) among the nominees.
Samson lit up the semi-final with a superb 89 off 42 balls, laced with seven sixes. The Kerala wicket-keeper broke Rohit Sharma’s record (15) for most sixes by an Indian in a single edition of the T20 World Cup, totalling 16 maximums in four innings. Samson played his first match of the tournament in the absence of an unwell Abhishek Sharma against Namibia in Delhi in the group stage. He scored a quickfire 22 with three sixes before returning for the second Super 8 contest in Chennai against Zimbabwe. Samson got India off to a flier yet again but failed to make it big, falling on 24.
However, with India facing the knockout heat in a 196-run chase against West Indies in Kolkata last week, Samson revelled with an unbeaten 97 that seamlessly propelled his side past the finish line. Samson’s latest knock against England set the bedrock for a 253-run total that would just proved to be enough for a seven-run win to lead India into their fourth World Cup final.
With 232 run, Samson is India’s third highest run-scorer in the tournament, only behind Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav.
