Sanju SamsonThe standout performer and player of the tournament in India’s 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup triumph, admitted he is still reeling from the disbelief of winning the title on home soil. Nevertheless, he is confident that India’s steady stream of emerging talent ensures more success in the years to come.“Not yet, I’m still like that, when I wake up in the morning, I’m like, ‘Did this really happen’, so honestly, that’s the feeling, but I think in the coming years, with the quality of players in our country, it’s going to repeat itself. With the number of players coming up in India, they’re definitely going to do it more and more,” Samad told the cast. BCCI Awards in New Delhi on Sunday.Samson’s tournament performance was exceptional. Despite not being a part of India’s starting XI, he scored 321 runs in just five innings at a strike rate of around 200. His innings included a match-winning 97* against West Indies in the Super Eight stage, followed by 89 in both the semi-final against England and the final against New Zealand.Reflecting on his journey, Samson said, “You can only dream of where you want to go, but you definitely can’t travel towards it. So my life or my career has been one of the best examples. I definitely wanted to do it a few years ago. I wanted to win the World Cup for my country, but it had its own plan, its own script. That’s how I liked the film more.”“Like I said before, I wanted to do something like that, then I got pulled out of my trip, and then all of a sudden, the team wanted me to contribute, and that’s when I actually turned around a little bit mentally… I think, before that, in the New Zealand series, all the attention was on me.“But in the World Cup, the focus is on the team, what the team needs. And in the Zimbabwe game, from that moment on, everyone wanted me to contribute. I had a role to play. So then came the change and the confidence that, well, ‘the team needs you, Sanju’, and let’s do what you can. So that’s where it all started.“And then I had the experience, I was working mentally. I was working physically, so I knew I was ready, and I knew it was for me, so I had to do what I know best.”Samson’s story was not just one of perseverance. Fast bowler Mohammad Siraj, a late addition to the squad as a replacement for the injured Harshit Rana, described his journey to a second T20 World Cup medal as almost miraculous. “I wasn’t in the starting squad, then I got it, played one game and now I’m part of two World Cup winning squads, I’d say it’s a miracle for me,” he said.
