Long post alert
Prologue
Ps:- If you prefer less stats and more emotion and drama, skip this bit. You can go straight to the next section.
As a cricket-loving nation, we have very high expectations of the Indian Men’s Cricket team. Much to the chagrin of many erstwhile cricketing superpowers, India calls the shots now. Given the system, the IPL, the money involved and above all, the quality of players we have, this is a very fair expectation—especially in the limited-overs formats.
Some Statistics I derived from Cricinfo (GPT helped, of course).
- Starting with the 2015 Cricket World Cup, which we lost in the semifinals, until 08 March 2026, India has played 73 matches across 10 tournaments (3 ODI World Cups, 5 T20 World Cups and 2 Champions Trophies).
- Of those 73 matches, India has won 59, which is a staggering 81% win rate. This includes 3 ICC titles, 2 runner-up finishes and 5 semifinal or earlier exits.
- From the 2023 Cricket World Cup until Sunday night—we have lost only 2 of 34 games (with 1 no-result) across four ICC white ball tournaments. Ironically, both those losses happened in Ahmedabad—the 2023 World Cup final and the game against South Africa on February 22. Staggering.
- From the 2024 T20 World Cup onwards, India has played 56 matches and won 48 of them, an incredible 86% win rate across series in T20Is.
- In this period, we have scored 14 totals of 200+, roughly one every four games, including four in this world cup.
Amidst the celebration, i heard a lot about 08 March final being one-side. When Australia was at its peak from 1999 to 2007, that was exactly the case. Every knockout game felt like a thrashing in their favour.
The brand of aggressive T20 cricket that we have played over the last two years has been fearless and unhinged. Credit is due to the coach and the captain for backing the players to play this way. Abhishek Sharma, Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya ,Tilak Varma and most recently Ishan Kishan have all contributed significantly towards this.
Our bowling led by Bowling Bradman Jasprit Bumrah, along with Varun Chakravarthy and Arshdeep Singh, have stood up in the tough overs. Axar Patel has taken over the critical gun fielder, match winner role of Jadeja. All this and judging by numbers above, it is simply India’s time to shine - deal with it!
My Kutty Story about Sanju Samson
February 2023.
We were returning from a family vacation in Kovalam. On the return flight from Trivandrum, a few minutes before boarding closed, Sanju Samson walked in unassumingly. He took a middle seat next to my father, while I was seated right behind them.
I told my father and the rest of the family that it was him. Dad requested him for a picture. Sanju was extremely gracious—he took my father’s phone and clicked the picture himself (I managed to sneak into the frame).
During the flight, as the cabin crew served refreshments, he waited patiently. One of the crew members, who did not recognize him, finally came over and asked him if he needed anything. He politely said he was simply waiting to be asked. She handed him his meal hamper (it was an Indigo flight). He quietly ate, had his drink and then took a short nap.
As we were waiting to deboard, my father and I took the liberty of offering him some unsolicited cricket advice. I told him I was a huge fan and absolutely loved his playing style. I also told him I looked forward to the day when he would win more matches for India—he was still not a regular fixture in the team at that time.
Standing behind him before deplaning, my father even told him—with permission—that he had such a beautiful game and that if he only spent a little more time at the crease, he could win many matches for India.
Sanju nodded, laughed and cheerfully said to me, “I wish your father was the selector.” All of this was in Tamil of course:-) it was lovely banter.
After that, more passengers around us realised who he was and took pictures, which he happily obliged. He quietly made an exit, after making a call to someone from the BCCI CoE, where he was headed for rehab.
Circa 2024
A magnificent chase unfolded at the Eden Gardens on 01 March. The world finally woke up to acknowledge Special Sanju, my mind kept returning to that wonderful meeting.
From his early days with Rajasthan Royals, I have been a huge fan. I continue to follow the team in the IPL because of Shane Warne, Rahul Dravid, Sanju Samson and now Yashasvi Jaiswal.
I followed Sanju's scores across formats in domestic cricket and hoped he would become a permanent part of the Indian setup. Many folks with lesser ability and talent have had a longer rope, but being in and out of the team did not help him. To be fair, he did not always help himself either—his “every ball must go” approach definitely cost him when a little patience might have helped secure his place.
In my opinion, he should already have played in the 2024 World Cup. But when the new management came in and two spots opened at the top of the order, he finally became a fixture in the team.
Sadly, I missed watching his first T20 hundred as I abroad on a business trip. When I saw my phone buzzing with WhatsApp message going of “Finally, Sanju”, i was elated. Soon after, came a crazy run—Three hundreds and two ducks in five innings. Like most of India, one thought he had finally arrived.
There is always a twist. A brief experiment to include Shubman Gill in the setup disrupted the batting order and eventually Sanju’s form. When the selectors abandoned the experiment and the team management restored Sanju to the top order, he was picked for the ICC T20 squad again and one felt his moment had returned.
At the same time, Ishan Kishan’s remarkable comeback was reaching its peak. Every innings thereafter for Sanju felt like a painful struggle. During his series against New Zealand, one could see the self-doubt. The calm stillness at the crease and the confidence against spin, his strengths, seemed to disappear. He had never looked more tentative. The burden of pressure was obvious. It truly felt like the last-chance saloon.
I remember the night of January 31. I prayed, just like his wife did (as seen on social media). It was Sanju at his home ground, it had to be redemption. He got a lucky boundary but was dismissed soon after. Ishan Kishan’s(what a story himself!) blazing hundred that night shut the door on Sanju’s place in the team - there was no way back.
As a fan, I was frustrated and disappointed. End of the road
Until destiny intervened.
February 22, 2026 - Ahmedabad.
I saw him warming up in the stadium. I was not surprised that he did not play that day. South Africa turned up strong, we had our worst game in two years. Abhishek Sharma’s dip in form meant the opening combination was no longer working and we needed a right hander in the top three.
Suddenly, Sanju was back in the reckoning. And then it happened.
Three extraordinary match-winning innings in consecutive knockout games.
On the night of March 1, he looked purposeful. Maybe he spoke to someone—we now know who. He played calmly. He did not throw his hands. He stayed still at the crease, played each ball on merit. Once he crossed the dreaded 30-run mark, he was truly in control.
He was doing everything that my father and I had jokingly “advised” him to do three years earlier. When he sank to his knees and looked toward the heavens, I choked up. I felt pure joy for the man.
My father asked me to send him the picture we had taken with Sanju. He was beaming, as well. For most of the game, I was barely speaking. The television volume was low. I had not even washed my face after the seven-hour drive from my in-laws’ home. When the game was over. I went to the washroom and did the “Jersey celebration”. This innings of 97* would rank alongside any of Virat Kohli’s T20 World Cup chases in 2014 (Pakistan) and 2016 (Australia), the same assurance, calculated assault and complete control.
Then came the semifinal. Billed as an Archer versus Samson. Sanju smashed him for 30+ runs. His footwork against Adil Rashid and the other spinners was immaculate.
Even in the final, after being initially watchful, he took on Lockie Ferguson for 48 runs in 2 overs. Together with Abhishek, they got 92 runs in the first six overs. The game was effectively decided right there.
This is the kind of performance that elevates a player into legend. Every cricketer dreams of playing at least one clutch innings in World Cup knockouts. To do it three times in a row is extraordinary.
As the cricketing world wakes up to his moment of reckoning, his humility, honesty and cherubic smile make it impossible not to root for him. In every press interaction he has acknowledged his own failings, the role of destiny, clarity of mind and the power of faith.
Whatever Sanju does from here (hope there is much more), he will always be remembered as the Player of the 2026 T20 World Cup. Yes, there were critical contributions from Bumrah, Axar, Dube (what a transformation), Hardik, Kishan, Arshdeep and finally Abhishek. But the 2026 T20 World Cup will always be remembered as Sanju Samson’s story.
Stat: Of the 14 times India crossed 200 in T20Is since 2024, Sanju featured in 13 and made significant contributions in 8 of them.
In the IPL, I will continue to cheer for Rajasthan Royals (and RCB will be there somewhere) but now the heart will be with Chennai Super Kings. CSK pulled off a masterstroke by ensuring they continue to have a loyal fan base whenever the strawberry farmer eventually decides to retire, by signing up “CheTTa”.
I also believe that success there could push Sanju toward future captaincy, something we have already seen he is capable of. For now, though, ambition can wait.
Let us simply celebrate a good human being and a wonderful batter who became a defining part of one of the most dominant eras of Indian T20 cricket—leading a batting lineup that is already being acknowledged as one of the most fearsome of all time in this format. Go well Sanju!
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