"I didn't believe him": Sanju Samson recalls Rohit Sharma's crucial message ahead of 2026 T20 WC

New Delhi [India], July 21 (ANI): Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson endured a rollercoaster journey from being dropped at the start of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 to becoming the Player of the Tournament.

Samson opened up about the ups and downs in his career, with the New Zealand series just before the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 being the example.

The wicketkeeper-batter revealed Rohit Sharma's advice before the USA game that he could still get a chance later in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026.

Samson admitted he initially found it hard to believe Sharma when the India captain assured him he could still get an opportunity later in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 after missing out early.

Reeling from a disappointing New Zealand series, Samson said he needed several days to process the setback before regaining his focus. Reflecting on the difficult phase, he revealed he turned inward, questioning his purpose and rediscovering his motivation for playing cricket. That period of self-reflection, he said, helped him mentally reset and eventually find his rhythm again.

"Don't be disheartened. It is a long tournament. The opportunity can come at any moment," Rohit had said to Samson.

"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. Our World Cup campaign started two days after the New Zealand series, and it takes me at least a week to recover," Samson said on Jiostar.

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. You know you've failed, so what's next? You're at the bottom, so from there, you can only go up," he added.

Samson said he used the difficult phase as an opportunity for self-reflection and worked on rebuilding his mental strength.

"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," he said.

Samson went on to script one of the most remarkable comeback stories in T20 World Cup history, playing a key role in India's title triumph on home soil and winning the Player of the Tournament award.

After being left out of the playing XI at the start of the tournament following a lean run of form, Samson forced his way back into the side and emerged as India's leading run-scorer and the third-highest overall.

He amassed 321 runs in just five innings at a staggering average of 80.25 and an explosive strike rate of 199.37, while his 24 sixes set a new record for the most by any batter in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. (ANI)

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