Sanju Samson, Suryakumar Yadav (Agency Image)
Suryakumar Yadav has opened up on one of the most difficult decisions he made during India’s title-winning 2026 T20 World Cup campaign, revealing how Sanju Samson responded when he was left out of the playing XI. The former India captain recalled Samson’s struggles during the 2024 tour of Sri Lanka, when the batter failed to score heavily before seeking advice from Suryakumar during the Duleep Trophy in Anantapur. We went to Sri Lanka in 2024, and he did not score a lot of runs there.
Because i knew that he was a good person, “That was my toughest call.
I told him I had confidence in him and that the coach had shown it as well. He asked me what he should do. We were playing the Duleep Trophy in Anantapur. I assured him that he would play the next seven matches, and even if he scored seven ducks, he would still play the eighth,” he added.
He finished with 321 runs in five innings at an average of 80.25, while his strike rate of 199.38 underlined the impact he made during India’s title-winning campaign. Samson produced crucial back-to-back performances in the knockout stages to help India win the World Cup and was subsequently named Player of the Tournament.
Rather than expressing frustration, Samson told his captain that he would continue preparing as though he were going to play and would be ready whenever the team needed him. “We were on the bus, and I told him that it was going to be difficult with how it was going. He told me just one thing: do whatever you feel is right to make this team win the World Cup. He said he is there whenever I need him, as he will prepare as if he were going to play. Aise bhi log hote hain life mein (There are people like this too),” Suryakumar said on Aakash Chopra’s YouTube channel. Suryakumar said he and the coach had confidence in Samson and promised him a long run in the side.
But India’s slow start to the World Cup, coupled with Abhishek Sharma not being fully fit and the team’s struggles against off-spin, eventually brought Samson back into contention. Once given the chance, the wicketkeeper-batter completely transformed his campaign. I gained a lot of confidence hearing that.