AHMEDABAD: There have been subtle changes for the better in Sanju Samson’s game. The T20 World Cup’s player of the tournament now has a remarkable steadiness when he plays his shots or is charging the bowler. The fidgety, twitchy version of Samson we saw earlier is gone.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The changes can be attributed to the lean run prior to the World Cup in the T20I series against New Zealand, which led to his omission from the squad and prompted serious introspection.With opposition teams targeting India with off-spin early in the Powerplay to neutralise left-hander Abhishek Sharma’s power hitting, and with Rinku Singh being under-utilised down the order, India rejigged their lineup and brought in Sanju.

Suddenly, the pieces seemed to fit and India had the perfect batting order for the occasion. Samson smashed three crucial, consecutive half-centuries, was India’s leading scorer with 321 runs from five innings and has probably hit upon the kind of consistency which eluded him for long periods of his career.Now, Samson is also the leading Indian run-scorer in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.ALSO READ: Team India Report Card: Perfect finish to a not-so-perfect T20 World Cup campaign“As soon as we brought him (back), the game changed completely (for us),” captain Suryakumar Yadav said.“He started batting differently. That was a positive call for him. I saw him working very hard. When someone doesn’t play, what he does (outside the playing field) is more important. He did everything he could for the team when he was not playing. The last three to four innings he has batted for the team, it is a result of all the hard work he has put in,” said Surya, highlighting the hard yards in the nets by the opener.One of Samson’s earliest coaches, Biju George, told TOI, “Every batsman over a long tournament brings in minute adjustments. He just kept faith in his ability and backed himself. He kept hitting straight and strong.”Sanju’s batting now has the distinct clarity it lacked earlier. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said Samson had changed his approach from the bilateral series earlier.“Unfortunate for us, he was saving his runs for the World Cup. In a few of those games, he looked like he was trying to hit from ball one. Now, he gave himself a chance, gave himself a few balls. On these wickets, when you’re in, you can really cash in,” Santner said.

Gautam Gambhir and Arshdeep Singh (Image credit: Instagram)

NEW DELHI: The celebrations, laughter, tears, dance, bhangra, hugs and high-fives were everywhere among the Indian players after Team India crushed New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to lift the T20 World Cup 2026 title. This was India’s third T20 World Cup triumph, having previously won it in 2007 under the leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni and in 2024 under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.After India won the final, Arshdeep Singh, who did not take a wicket in the title clash, was seen making reels with his teammates, including head coach Gautam Gambhir. He was playfully trolling teammates and members of the support staff.

Arshdeep posted a video reel with Gambhir. Turning the phone camera towards the head coach, he teased him by saying, “Paaji, kade has vi leya karo yaar (brother, you should smile sometimes).”Arshdeep’s playful remark left Gambhir, who is usually seen in a serious mood, laughing.In another reel with Sanju Samson, Arshdeep said: “Justice mil gaya (finally got justice).” India scripted history by becoming the first team to win the T20 World Cup at home and the first team to claim three T20 World Cup trophies.With this triumph, captain Suryakumar Yadav surpassed former skipper Rohit Sharma to register the best winning percentage by an Indian captain in T20Is.Under Suryakumar’s leadership, India have played 52 matches, winning 42, losing eight, while two ended in no result, giving him a win percentage of 80.77.Following India’s record-breaking third T20 World Cup win, captain Surya reflected on the importance of mental resilience, team understanding and off-field preparation in building a championship-winning culture. He also emphasised that the most important thing is to remain true to oneself.Speaking about the lessons from his own career, Surya stressed that failure is an inevitable part of sport.“It’s really important to understand that you’ll definitely fail more times than you succeed in sports. I mean, he must have seen it in his career. I have seen it last year, 2025. Whole year, I couldn’t get a 50. It took me 400 plus days to get a 50 for India. But that’s what I told the boys, the same thing. Ups and downs will definitely keep on coming in sport,” he said while addressing the media in the press conference.For Surya, success comes not just from technical skill but also from character, discipline and fostering trust within the team.“You have to understand, you have to respect the game. You have to try and spend time with all good people around you. That’s more important. Be true to yourself. You can’t cheat the man in the mirror when you get up in the morning or you’re going to sleep,” he added.He also highlighted the importance of understanding teammates’ temperaments, strengths and weaknesses, and building confidence through personal connection and freedom of expression.“So, those small, small things which you do off the field, I think when we come on the field, that actually gives you a lot of confidence, that gives them a lot of composure. Also, I feel you need to understand each character on the team. Everyone is different. They bring a different skill to the table. So, you need to speak to them, their temperaments, understand them. That is actually very important and that’s what we did throughout the last one and a half years, two years,” the skipper stated.

India’s Sanju Samson (C) celebrates with his coach Gautam Gambhir (L) after their team’s win in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup final match against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 8, 2026. (AFP)

NEW DELHI: Gautam Gambhir, in the truest sense, is a Delhi boy. He wears his heart on his sleeve.And you cannot even blame him for it. There is a saying in Delhi cricket that playing for India is much easier than playing for Delhi. You have to be tough enough to survive in Delhi cricket’s ecosystem. Gambhir not only survived it, he also led Delhi to their Ranji Trophy triumph in 2007. He then went on to become one of India’s finest openers across formats.

Gambhir was India’s MVP in their two World Cup triumphs: the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup. In both finals, he stepped up on the big occasion. Whether it was his 54-ball 75 against arch-rivals Pakistan in Johannesburg or the crafty 97 that steered India to victory in Mumbai four years later, Gambhir proved to be a force in ICC tournaments. Now, as a coach, he has added a World Cup to his resume. Not to forget the Champions Trophy and his IPL exploits as captain and mentor.Gambhir has always shown a stomach for a fight. He is often remembered for those two knocks in World Cup finals, but to truly understand Gambhir one has to look at his marathon knock in Napier in 2009. Gambhir batted for 643 minutes, over 10 hours, and faced 436 balls to score 137 and secure a draw for India.

Gautam Gambhir, Head Coach of India, looks on during the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 Final between India and New Zealand at Narendra Modi Stadium on March 08, 2026 in Ahmedabad, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

Stubbornness has been a defining characteristic of Gambhir and it has always been evident in his personality.There is a saying in Delhi cricket that if Gambhir trusts you, he will back you till the hilt.Before Suryakumar Yadav became the toast of Mumbai Indians, it was under Gambhir at KKR that he realised his pedigree and was made vice-captain of the Kolkata franchise. Surya has now become only the fourth Indian captain to win a World Cup.Sticking with Sanju Samson despite the batter not performing and continuing to back Abhishek Sharma and Varun Chakravarthy—the two World No. 1s who were struggling in the World Cup—are just a few examples.

Gautam Gambhir Head Coach of India and Varun Chakravarthy of India during an India ICC Men’s T20 World Cup India & Sri Lanka 2026 net session at MA Chidambaram Stadium on February 23, 2026 in Chennai, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

During KKR’s title run in 2024, he noticed Ramandeep Singh training in the gym while the others were celebrating their first win of the tournament. The next day, he spoke to Ramandeep, explained his batting role at No. 7 and 8, and assured him that he would play all the matches. Ramandeep proved pivotal in KKR’s campaign and the Punjab all-rounder even went on to play for India.Then there is Harshit Rana. The keyboard warriors kept their knives sharp, but Rana has grown in confidence and is now looking like a million-dollar investment. Although the Delhi pacer got injured before the start of India’s campaign, Gambhir finally had a bowler who could also swing those crucial 20 runs with the bat.There is an interesting story about Ayush Badoni as well. When Vijay Dahiya urged Gambhir to call Badoni for the Lucknow Super Giants trials, the current India coach drove down to a local ground where Badoni was practising and watched him silently for an hour. Badoni had no clue. Later that evening he received a call for the LSG trials. Now he too is on the fringes of the national team.Gambhir went to war with figures like the late Bishan Singh Bedi and Chetan Chauhan over Navdeep Saini. After watching him bowl for just 15 minutes, Gambhir decided Saini was a rare talent who needed to be groomed properly.“Kudos Navdeep Saini on your India debut. You already have two wickets even before you have bowled, @BishanBedi and @ChetanChauhanCr. Their middle stumps are gone seeing the debut of a player whose cricketing obituary they wrote even before he stepped on the field, shame!!” Gambhir had written in 2019 after the Delhi pacer made his India debut.Former India U-19 World Cup-winning captain and Delhi opener Unmukt Chand believes there is no one like Gambhir when it comes to injecting confidence into a cricketer.“If he supports someone, he truly backs that player. There are many examples. He made Suryakumar Yadav vice-captain. It was a very unusual thing to do back then. When you know you are valued so much in your team, your performance improves. Once the fear of failure is taken away, you thrive,” Unmukt had told TimesofIndia.com.Gambhir hardly smiles. His face rarely gives away what he is thinking or feeling. He has always been a man of few words.Former India coach Ravi Shastri, while calling India’s win, even teased the current India coach by saying, “Come on GG, show us that priceless smile of yours.”Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh made a reel with his coach saying, “Oh paaji kade has bhi liya karo yaar,” leaving Gambhir in splits.MS Dhoni, in his congratulatory post, also teased his former teammate: “Coach sahab, smile looks great on you. Intensity with a smile is a killer combo.”In that one line, Dhoni summed up the man who helped him win two World Cup finals. When the stakes are highest and the stage is a World Cup final, Gautam Gambhir has a habit of showing up. “The first thing is that the players have made me win. I have been saying this for a long time that you are as good a coach or as good a captain as your players. So I think credit needs to go to the players. The way, the professionalism and most importantly the bravery with which this tournament was played,” Gambhir said in a press conference after the win.As a player, he had the habit of turning the biggest nights into his own but after tasting World Cup glory for the first time as a coach, Gambhir stepped aside to let the players enjoy the spotlight.

A day before the T20 World Cup final, the usual tension and mind games between teams have already started. India and New Zealand are set to clash for the title, and both captains had a few things to say during their pre-match press conferences.India head into the final with strong momentum after smashing 253/7 against England in the semifinal at the Wankhede Stadium. But New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner believes the key for his team is to stop India from posting another huge total.

Speaking ahead of the match, he said, “And at the end of the day, if it’s going to be flat like it was the other night, trying to restrict India to 220 instead of 250 might give us a good chance.”When India captain Suryakumar Yadav was asked about Santner’s comment, he responded with a smile and a bit of banter. “Jhooth bol raha hai (he’s lying). We will try to bat well. If we score 225 or 250, it will be good. But sometimes the wicket is different, and we have to play differently. We don’t predict from the dressing room that we have to score so much. Whatever the pitch demands, we have to play that way,” he said.Santner also spoke about the pressure India might feel while playing a final at home in front of a packed crowd. “That’s the goal – to silence the crowd – but there are a lot of challenges in cricket, and they are variable. I think there is a lot of pressure on India to win at home,” he said. At the same time, the Kiwi captain sounded confident about his team. “I am pretty excited. We have played here before. There are no secrets to it. The boys are buzzing for tomorrow. It is a one-game shootout. The boys are excited.”Santner’s remark reminded many of Pat Cummins’ famous comment before the 2023 ODI World Cup final about silencing the crowd. Suryakumar couldn’t resist poking fun at that as well, saying: “Sab hi same line chipka rahe hai. Kuch toh naya bolo (Everyone is now saying the same thing. Come up with something new).”

Suryakumar Yadav responded to comments made by Mitchell Santner about silencing the home crowd in the final

NEW DELHI: India captain Suryakumar Yadav on Saturday responded to comments made by Mitchell Santner about silencing the home crowd in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Ahmedabad, saying such remarks have become common before major matches.India will face New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.Earlier in the day, New Zealand captain Santner had said his team would look to quieten the home crowd during the final. His statement was similar to one made by Pat Cummins before the final of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 at the same venue, when Australia defeated India.“The goal is to silence the crowd. There are a lot of variables in T20 cricket, and it is fickle at times,” the 34-year-old said. “If we go out about our business the same way we can upset another big team. There’s obviously a lot of pressure on in there (on India) to win this World Cup at home.”

Responding to the remark, Suryakumar said such statements are now repeated often before major games.“Sab he same line chipka rahe hai. Kuch to naya bolo (Everyone is now saying the same thing. Come up with something new),” Suryakumar Yadav told reporters in the pre-match press conference.The 35-year-old India captain, who is the second-highest run-scorer for the team in the 2026 T20 World Cup, said leading the side in a World Cup final comes with pressure but he wants to enjoy the occasion.He added that the atmosphere in the Indian dressing room remains positive as the team prepares for the final.“It’s a special feeling and everyone is very excited. We have a very good environment in the group. We are looking forward to the big final,” he said.“As a leader, there would be pressure; I cannot deny that. Definitely, there would be added pressure, the excitement is there of playing a World Cup final, that too in India,” Suryakumar added.India became the first defending champions to reach the final of the T20 World Cup. They will look to win the title and also become the first host nation to lift the trophy when they face New Zealand on Sunday.

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has urged the team management to consider a bold change ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 final, suggesting that out-of-form opener Abhishek Sharma should be rested for the title clash against New Zealand national cricket team. India will face the Kiwis in the summit clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday.Kaif believes the Indian think tank, led by head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Suryakumar Yadav, should not hesitate to make a change for such a crucial game. Abhishek has endured a difficult campaign in the tenth edition of the tournament, crossing the 50-run mark only once and repeatedly struggling against spin bowling.

Opposition teams have targeted this weakness by introducing spinners during the powerplay. On four occasions in the tournament, Abhishek has fallen to spin, often while trying to attack from the outset. The aggressive approach that usually defines his batting has not paid off this time, and he has struggled to adapt by rotating the strike or taking time to settle at the crease.The situation has also been complicated by a health issue before the tournament began. Abhishek suffered a stomach infection and had to be hospitalised shortly before the competition started. The illness resulted in noticeable weight loss, and the lack of physical strength appears to have affected his bat swing and overall confidence. His struggles have also extended to the field, with the left-hander dropping two catches during India’s Super 8s encounter against the West Indies cricket team.Considering these factors, Kaif believes the team could benefit from bringing in Rinku Singh for the final.“India can give Abhishek Sharma a break. He has played many matches now. There is no harm in making changes. You can make changes in the shortest format. Roston Chase opened against India as Brandon King was out of form. They backed him for five or six matches, but they gave him a break for a big match. I believe that, like you brought in Sanju, and he did a great job, so that change worked in your favour,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.“India have proven players. Rinku Singh scores runs everywhere, be it Tests, Ranji Trophy, or the IPL. Kuldeep Yadav and Mohammed Siraj also take wickets everywhere. When you look in the dugout to see who can replace Abhishek Sharma, you see Rinku Singh sitting there. So, bring him in. A guy is struggling, and another guy is sitting outside despite doing well,” he added.Abhishek’s lack of runs at the top also prompted the team management to reintroduce Sanju Samson into the playing XI. The wicketkeeper-batter responded impressively, producing match-winning knocks against the West Indies and the England cricket team and earning Player of the Match awards in both games.Kaif also pointed out that Samson’s experience in high-pressure tournaments sets him apart from Abhishek, who is still relatively new to global events.“The biggest difference between Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson is that Abhishek Sharma is still quite new to ICC events. He has a fantastic record, if you leave ICC events aside. There is a big difference when playing in an ICC event like the World Cup,” said Kaif.“Sanju has scored over 8000 runs in T20S. Be it the runs or six-hitting ability, his name comes in the top 10 in the IPL. He is already an established player. Abhishek Sharma is still young and has to work on his game. He is not a finished product. Don’t compare him with Sanju. Sanju is already a finished product. He made his India debut 11 years ago,” he concluded.

Rohit Sharma and Brendon McCullum (Screengrab)

Former India captain Rohit Sharma grabbed plenty of attention at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday night as India national cricket team defeated England cricket team to secure a place in the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.Rohit, who captained India to the T20 World Cup title in the USA and West Indies two years ago, was present at the venue as a special guest. Before the semi-final began, he was involved in the pre-match ceremony, presenting the silverware and handing over the match ball. However, it was his lively interactions with players and staff from both camps that became a talking point even before the contest got underway.The former skipper first spent time with members of the Indian side, catching up with Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Mohammed Siraj and India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel. After that, he walked across to the England dugout, where he met former captain Eoin Morgan and head coach Brendon McCullum.

Morgan and McCullum were both stunned by Rohit’s noticeable physical transformation. The former India captain has reportedly shed close to 10 kilograms as part of his fitness drive, and the change was clearly visible during his appearance at the ground.“In the shape of your life. What’s going on?” Morgan asked Rohit.“Just chilling,” Rohit replied.McCullum, meanwhile, had a humorous reaction when he saw the former opener. “Where’s the rest of you?” he remarked. Rohit responded with a smile, saying, “It’s all gone”.Rohit also shared a brief exchange with Suryakumar Yadav that seemed to lift the batter’s confidence ahead of the high-pressure clash. When Surya asked, “Do you think we’ll be able to pull it off?”, Rohit responded positively: “Yeah, obviously! We played so well in the last match too.” During another conversation, Rohit reassured bowling coach Morne Morkel about the conditions, telling him not to worry as the wind would stay consistent throughout the game.The semi-final marked the third consecutive T20 World Cup knockout meeting between India and England. England had dominated the 2022 clash with a 10-wicket victory before India returned the favour two years later.Thursday’s contest once again produced tense moments, especially when Jacob Bethell threatened to take the game away from India with a powerful innings. However, the match ultimately turned in India’s favour thanks to a superb finish from Jasprit Bumrah, whose final two overs conceded just 14’Where’s the Rest of You?’: Brendon McCullum runs.

India’s captain Suryakumar Yadav, head coach Gautam Gambhir and Ramesh Mhamunkar, chief curator of Wankhede Stadium, near the playing surface on Tuesday, March 3, 2026.
| Photo Credit: EMMANUAL YOGINI

NEW DELHI: When Sanju Samson stood tall after his match-winning 97 against the West Indies, it was more than just a comeback knock — it was the fulfilment of a promise made at the very start of the T20 World Cup.Despite being India’s first-choice T20I opener for over a year, Samson found himself out of the playing XI for the tournament opener against the United States of America (USA) at the Wankhede Stadium. Ishan Kishan’s strong form meant Samson had to wait.

What followed is now going viral.Ahead of that opening game, Rohit Sharma walked up to Samson, put an arm around him, and offered words that would define the rest of his tournament.“Kaisa hai? Dukhi mat ho bhai. It is a long tournament, kabhi bhi mauka aa sakta hai (“How are you? Don’t be disheartened. It is a long tournament. The opportunity can come at any moment),” Rohit had said to Samson, as revealed in a video posted by the official Instagram account of the International Cricket Council (ICC).At that moment, Samson was on the sidelines. But Rohit’s reassurance proved prophetic.After India’s defeat to South Africa opened the door for changes, Samson returned. He first made an impact with a fiery cameo against Zimbabwe before scripting something far bigger — an unbeaten 97 under pressure to anchor a daunting 196-run chase against the West Indies, sealing India’s highest-successful run chase in T20 World Cup history.His journey to that moment had been anything but smooth.Earlier in the season, being pushed down the order during the Asia Cup disrupted his rhythm. Then came a difficult New Zealand series where scores of 10, 6, 0, 24 and 6 led to criticism and doubts.But Samson never stopped observing, learning and believing.After his masterclass against the West Indies, he acknowledged the influence of Rohit and Virat Kohli.“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 was very important to observe, learn, and see what they were doing,” Samson said.From being dropped to delivering one of the most memorable knocks in India’s T20 World Cup campaign, Samson’s resurgence now carries the imprint of Rohit’s hug and those four simple words — “Dukhi mat ho bhai.”With a five-wicket win over the West Indies, India marched into the semifinals and will now face England at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday — the same ground where Samson had once watched from the sidelines, waiting for his moment.

Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma run between the wickets during an ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 cricket match between India and Zimbabwe, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, in Chennai. (PTI Photo)

Sanju Samson dropped to his knees and looked up at the sky in gratitude and relief, perhaps thanking the cricketing gods at the ‘Garden of Eden’ in Kolkata, after steering India to the T20 World Cup semifinals with a five-wicket win over West Indies in what was a virtual quarter-final for both teams.India captain Suryakumar Yadav doffed his cap in honour of Sanju, after the right-handed batter played a career-defining unbeaten 97 off 50 balls on Sunday.While Sanju’s 97 in Kolkata will be remembered, his short-lived but significant innings against Zimbabwe three days prior had brought momentum to India’s T20 World Cup campaign.In the five matches before Sanju returned to the playing XI against Zimbabwe, India won four but there were clear concerns in the batting, and everyone could see it.

Trouble in top-order

India played without Samson in four out of those five matches, and their highest opening partnership in those games was 8 runs. In the only match that Sanju played, against Namibia (when Abhishek was out due to illness), Samson and Ishan Kishan had an opening stand of 25 runs in 12 balls.Apart from Ishan’s knocks against Pakistan (77 off 40) and Namibia (61 off 24), India’s top four, including Surya and Tilak Varma, were also facing a strike-rate problem in those matches, as the table below shows.

Indian top-order batters’ strike-rate in the first 5 matches of T20 World Cup

Openers not providing a good start, and the middle order struggling to score runs quickly, was a double trouble for defending champions India. This was largely due to India’s batters struggling against off-spin in the tournament.With six left-handers in the top eight, India essentially invited themself to be attacked by off-spinners. And oppositions’ Erasmus, Aghas, Ayubs, and Dutts obliged.During the group stage, India faced more off-spin than any other team — 102 deliveries. Among the 13 teams that faced at least six overs of off-spin, only Nepal (5.25) and Oman (5.42) scored at a slower rate than India’s 6.23 runs per over.India’s trouble against off-spin bowling was first exposed by Gerhard Erasmus, when the Namibian skipper took four wickets, three of them left-handers, in the group-stage match. Pakistan took the cue, and their captain, Salman Ali Agha, a part-time off-spinner, took the new ball and dismissed India’s opener Abhishek Sharma caught on duck at mid-on. The trend continued in India’s last group-stage match against the Netherlands as off-spinner Aryan Dutt came to bowl the first over. He first bowled Abhishek Sharma for another duck, his third in as many matches in the tournament by then, and then sent his partner Ishan Kishan back to the dugout in the fifth over.

It is worth noting that Abhishek had not previously shown vulnerability against off-spin; in fact, he has a career strike rate of 171.1 against off-spinners in powerplay in T20Is. However, given the slow nature of the pitches in the tournament, as compared to the IPL and T20 bilaterals India played at home in the last two years, he seemed to be out of his comfort zone against them and fell to off-spin twice in the three group-stage matches.Meanwhile, Abhishek’s opening partner Ishan Kishan, does face trouble against the off-spinners. In all T20Is, Kishan has scored against off-spinners at a mere 76.9 strike rate in the first six overs. That hasn’t changed in the T20 World Cup, despite him being in the form of his life; the southpaw has scored at just 115.8 strike rate against off-spin in the powerplay, his lowest against all kinds of bowling.In comparison, Sanju Samson has a strike-rate of 188.2 against off-spinners in the powerplay in T20Is.

‘Matlab Abhishek ki jagah khilau?’

By the end of the group stage, it was clear that India’s two left-handed openers had a difficult match-up against off-spin.It was evident that South Africa will use their off-spin options if Ishan and Abhishek open the innings for India in their first Super 8 clash. India captain Suryakumar Yadav was asked in the pre-match press conference whether India would look to bring back right-handed Sanju Samson vs South Africa in the top order to counter the off-spin threat? To which he replied, “Matlab Abhishek ki jagah khilau? (Should I play him instead of Abhishek?)”, “matlab Tilak ki jagah khilau? (You mean in place of Tilak?).“Suryakumar Yadav was seen smiling sarcastically while replying to the journalist as if the suggestion was out of context.But the story repeated, as predicted, and South Africa captain Aiden Markram himself came to bowl with the new ball and dismissed opener Ishan Kishan for a duck. India lost the match by 76 runs, which left them in a do-or-die situation.

How fortunes changed for India?

India’s next Super 8 match was against Zimbabwe in Chennai, and in came Sanju Samson back in the playing XI. He opened the innings with Abhishek and provided India a brisk opening stand of 48 runs. More importantly, with Sanju as an opener, India succeeded in keeping the off-spinner away from the new ball. By the time Sanju was dismissed in the fourth over, India were 48, and Abhishek Sharma was set at the crease. Sanju scored 24 off 15 balls and fulfilled the task brilliantly that he was entrusted with, and was lauded by head coach Gautam Gambhir and support staff after his dismissal. Sanju’s presence did wonders for India in the match. Opener Abhishek Sharma, who had scored just 15 runs before that in the tournament, including three ducks, came back to form and scored a half-century. India scored 256 in the first innings and crushed Zimbabwe by 72 runs. India finally had a convincing win in the tournament, and a campaign that once seemed on the verge of derailment found its momentum. Sanju Samson had turned it around through his 15-ball 24-run knock.Against West Indies on Sunday, India chased down their highest-ever target (196) in Men’s T20 World Cup history, bettering their previous record of 173 against South Africa in 2014.Sanju Samson’s 97 in the chase was the second-highest score for India at the men’s T20 World Cup, behind only Suresh Raina’s 101 against South Africa in 2010. It was the highest for India in a chase at the T20 World Cup, bettering Virat Kohli’s 82 not out against Australia in 2016 and Pakistan in 2022.India captain Suryakumar Yadav, who just a few days ago questioned “kiski jagah khilau?”, bowed down to Samson in appreciation.The 97 in Kolkata will be remembered. It secured the semifinal spot and will sit high among India’s best T20 World Cup knocks. But it was Samson’s 15-ball 24 against Zimbabwe in Chennai that brought India’s T20 World Cup campaign to life, and they are now looking like the formidable side that they are, going into the semi-final.