3 min readMar 10, 2026 12:49 PM IST
English batting legend Kevin Pietersen hailed India opener Sanju Samson as a “freak” talent following his spell-binding show in the T20 World Cup final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Breaking a heap of records with his third consecutive half-century in the World Cup, Samson lit up India’s knockout procession in the tournament with a 46-ball 89 in the final, laced with eight sixes. Samson became only the third man after Shahid Afridi and Virat Kohli to smash fifties in the semi-final and final of a World Cup edition, in this case scoring 89 on both occasions. Samson’s tally made him the first to total 150-plus runs in the semi-final and final of a series while also registering the highest-ever score in the summit clash across 10 editions.
Speaking to The Telegraph during the World Cup final where Samson belted the Kiwi bowlers, Pietersen explained why he regarded the India wicket-keeper as a special talent.
I think we need to get Sanju Samson on @kptheswitch very soon!!!!! I’ve always loved him as a player….👀
— Kevin Pietersen🦏 (@KP24) March 2, 2026
“Samson is a freak. I’ve always liked his style. He’s actually very conventional in the way he plays. Sees the ball early: that’s the key,” remarked Pietersen.
Leading the way for England’s IPL stars
The former England captain also opened up on facing brickbats on opting for more game time in the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the second half of his career. Pietersen also claimed that England white-ball veteran Jos Buttler recently appreciated his efforts to stem England’s path to the premier T20 tournament in India as one of its early proponents in the UK.
“I did something with Jos Buttler the other day for my YouTube channel,” Pietersen said in the Telegraph interview. “He actually thanked me. He said, because of the sacrifices that I made, they could go out and enjoy what they enjoy now. And I was, like: ‘Dude, it’s fine, man. I got what I got. I live a pretty cool life. I’m very happy. So it is what it is.’
“All I was wanting to do was play the IPL, earn more money, and miss a couple of Test matches in May, which didn’t matter anyway,” remarked Pietersen.
“I sort of foresaw the future, but then I got punished for it.”
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Nearly a decade after his last playing stint in the IPL, Pietersen returned as a mentor with the Delhi Capitals last season.
