CricTracker
newspoint|02-03-2026
As India marched into the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2026 after a thrilling win in Kolkata, an old message from Rohit Sharma to Sanju Samson resurfaced online and instantly went viral. On the first day of the tournament, Rohit had told Samson to stay patient and keep believing, and on Sunday night at the Eden Gardens, Samson delivered one of the finest knocks of his career.
Samson’s unbeaten 97 off 50 balls guided the Men in Blue to a five-wicket win over West Indies in a Super 8 clash, sealing a spot in the last four. Chasing 196 against the two-time champions was never going to be easy, but Samson ensured the scoreboard pressure never increased. He paced his innings beautifully, finishing the game with four balls to spare in what became India’s highest successful run chase in T20 World Cup history.
Notably, Samson had started the tournament on the bench. With limited opportunities in the league stage, doubts began to swirl once again around his place in the team. It was during this phase that Rohit, serving as the ICC ambassador for the tournament, met the team and had a brief chat with them.
“Don’t be disheartened. It is a long tournament. You’ll get your chance. The opportunity can come anytime,” Rohit had told him.
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Samson returned to the XI later in the tournament and produced his masterclass in Kolkata. After the match, he revealed how he handled the frustration of sitting out. Instead of overthinking, he went back to basics, trusted his process, and even switched off his phone to avoid social media noise.
"It means the whole world actually to me. I think right from the day I started playing, started dreaming to play for the country, this is the day I was waiting for. And I'm very grateful, very thankful. I've always had a very special journey with lots of ups and downs, but I kept on doubting myself, kept on thinking: what if, what if... can I make it? But I kept on believing, and thanks to the Lord Almighty for actually blessing me today," he told Ian Bishop after the game. So I'm very happy. Yeah, I think that's why I have been playing this format for a very long time. Playing IPL for around 10 to 12 years and being with the Indian team for the last 10 years... I have not always been playing, but I was looking from the dugout, learning from greats like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. It's very important to observe, learn, and see what they were doing," he said.
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