Former India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav has opened up about a memorable conversation with Sanju Samson that left a deep impression on him. Suryakumar revealed how Samson handled a difficult phase in his career with remarkable selflessness, choosing the team’s success over his own place in the playing XI. Samson eventually enjoyed a dream run at the 2026 T20 World Cup, winning the Player of the Tournament award after finishing as India’s highest run-scorer. The wicketkeeper-batter amassed 321 runs in five innings at an outstanding average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.38.

His biggest contributions came during India’s knockout run, where he delivered three consecutive impactful performances against West Indies, England and New Zealand. Although he finished third on the overall run-scoring charts behind Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan and a New Zealand batter, Samson’s performances in the knockout stages proved particularly valuable as India secured the World Cup title.

However, his success came after a challenging period earlier in the year. Suryakumar recalled that Samson had struggled for runs during India’s 2026 New Zealand series, while Ishan Kishan was enjoying an excellent domestic season. The emergence of Kishan created a difficult selection dilemma for the Indian team management.

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Suryakumar Kumar explained that he considered playing all three batters and giving Tilak Varma flexibility in the batting order. During that period, he had an honest conversation with Samson while the two were travelling on the team bus. “Then came the 2026 New Zealand series where he [Samson] wasn’t scoring runs, but Ishan had a fantastic domestic season. So after that, I thought, ‘Alright, no problem, let’s play all three of them and let Tilak bat flexibly.’”

Suryakumar revealed that Kishan was making a strong case for himself by taking on the opposition despite coming into the middle with India in difficult situations.

“In that series, Ishan batted exactly the way I expected someone to bat at number three, walking in at 5/2 or 6/2 and taking the attack on.” With Samson going through a lean patch, Suryakumar told him that earning a place in the XI could become difficult. However, Samson’s response surprised the former India captain. “We were sitting on the team bus discussing it, and I said, ‘Chetta, it looks like it’s going to be difficult the way things are going.’”

🚨 Suryakumar Yadav talking about on Sanju Samson 🚨

“That was my toughest call, like all the other calls. So when we went to Sri Lanka in 2024, he didn’t score any runs there. So he said, Surya Bhau, what do you think ? What should I do ? So I said, I will only tell you one… pic.twitter.com/J0cocBntQx

— Vikas (@Vikas662005) August 29, 2026

According to Suryakumar, Samson simply told him to make whatever decision was best for India’s World Cup campaign. “Bhau, take whatever call you feel is right to help this team win the World Cup. Whenever you need me, I’m right here. I will prepare exactly as if I’m playing.”

Suryakumar said Samson’s response gave him enormous confidence and showed the kind of selfless mindset required at the highest level. Rather than questioning his omission or demanding a place based on past performances, Samson remained prepared for his opportunity.

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That opportunity eventually arrived during the tournament, and Samson was ready. He returned to the side and produced match-winning performances during India’s knockout campaign before playing a crucial role in their title triumph.

“Later, when that dip came during the tournament, and he was brought in, he was completely ready to seize that opportunity. To come into the side midway through the tournament, play the final, win the World Cup for India, and become the Player of the Tournament, the respect I had for him went even higher.” Suryakumar concluded by praising Samson’s character and describing him as someone deserving of success. “As I always say, good things happen to good people, and he is a good man,” he said.