India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson delivered one of the most memorable performances of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, guiding India to a historic title defence with a stunning knock in the final. His performance also left his wife, Charulatha Remesh, emotional and proud as the Indian team celebrated a famous victory. In the final against the New Zealand national cricket team, Samson played a brilliant innings of 89 runs, helping India secure a dominant 96-run victory at the iconic Narendra Modi Stadium.
The win was historic for multiple reasons. India not only claimed their third T20 World Cup title but also became the first team in history to successfully defend the trophy. It was also the first time India lifted the T20 World Cup on home soil, making the triumph even more special for players and fans alike. Samson’s consistency throughout the tournament earned him the prestigious Player of the Tournament award.
The right-hander amassed 321 runs in five matches at a remarkable average of 80.25 and a blazing strike rate of 199.37. His impressive campaign included three half-centuries, highlighting his dominance with the bat. After India’s victory, Charulatha shared a special moment with Samson on social media.
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She posted a photo of the couple posing with the T20 World Cup trophy, capturing the joy of the historic achievement. “My trophy holding his. Just too grateful,” she wrote in the caption.
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Behind Samson’s success lies years of guidance from his father, Samson Viswanath. In an interaction with journalist Rajdeep Sardesai, Viswanath revealed how he carefully shaped his son’s batting mindset from a young age.
“When Sanju started batting, he used to follow the styles of Sachin Sir and Dravid Sir. When he was just four years old, we never showed him the batting of anyone else,” Samson Viswanath said. “I used to train them, but whenever we watched batting together, we would watch innings of Dravid Sir or Sachin Sir.”
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Viswanath explained that he wanted his son to learn from two of India’s greatest batters — Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid — focusing on their technique and discipline at the crease.
“I would tell the kids, ‘Look at how these two great Indian cricketers play and how they use their bats.’ That’s who they learned to follow,” he added. Reflecting on Samson’s recent performances, his father said the batter looked calm, confident, and completely free at the crease during the tournament.
#Exclusive | Sanju Samson’s father, Samson Vishwanath, in conversation with @sardesairajdeep, says he is very happy with his son’s performance in the last three matches, calling it ‘class cricket’.
He also recalls how he spotted the talent in his sons early and trained them,… pic.twitter.com/d7f6wHv8Cu
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) March 9, 2026
“He has just completed three innings, and they were pure class — absolutely class cricket. There wasn’t even a single shot where the ball didn’t come properly off his bat,” Samson Viswanath said. “He looked completely calm, tension-free, and was striking the ball very cleanly. In all three innings, he played every ball with great freedom.”
Viswanath also admitted that Samson’s batting style had changed in recent years and that he often encouraged his son to return to his natural game.
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“This is exactly how he used to play in his childhood. Over the past few years, he hadn’t been playing like this,” he said. “I used to tell him many times to return to his old style, to go back to the way he originally played, but he wouldn’t always listen. When people taunted him, he had to hear all that criticism,” Samson Viswanath added.
