Former India captain Suryakumar Yadav had to make several bold calls during the team’s journey to winning the T20 World Cup earlier this year, with one of the biggest being Sanju Samson’s exclusion from the playing XI in the early stages. Ishan Kishan had shown promising form at the top during the series against New Zealand, earning him the opportunity ahead of Samson. However, India’s slow start to the World Cup, coupled with Abhishek Sharma not being fully fit, brought Samson back into contention. He grabbed the chance with both hands, producing a tournament to remember with crucial back-to-back performances in the knockout stages to help India lift the title. Samson was eventually named Player of the Tournament.
Suryakumar recalled the conversation he had with Samson when the wicketkeeper-batter was left out of the side. The India captain said Samson’s selfless response and willingness to stay ready for whenever the team needed him gave him immense confidence during a difficult phase of the tournament.
“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. I gained a lot of confidence hearing that. Aise bhi log hote hain life mein (There are people like this too),” Suryakumar said on Aakash Chopra’s YouTube channel.
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Samson enjoyed a remarkable 2026 T20 World Cup, scoring 321 runs in five innings at an average of 80.25. He struck at a blistering rate of 199.38, underlining his impact during India’s title-winning campaign.
“Dropping Sanju Samson was my toughest call”
The former skipper also revealed why leaving Samson out was one of the toughest decisions he had to make. He recalled backing the batter through a lean patch earlier and assuring him of a long run in the side, highlighting the faith he and the team management had in Samson’s ability.
“That was my toughest call because I knew that he was a good person. We went to Sri Lanka in 2024, and he did not score a lot of runs there. He asked me what he should do. We were playing the Duleep Trophy in Anantapur. I told him I had confidence in him and that the coach had shown it as well. 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.