Samson rises from year of struggle to become India's World Cup hero

AHMEDABAD, India, March 9 : India opener Sanju Samson's rise from not being a preferred opener to finishing as the player of the tournament became the campaign's most compelling redemption arc as the hosts retained the men's Twenty20 World Cup title.

The 31-year-old arrived at the tournament under scrutiny after enduring a prolonged slump in form through last year and into the early stages of this one.

His returns were modest and inconsistent, and questions grew over whether India could continue backing a player whose promise often outpaced his output.

Samson, who did not play a game in the 2024 edition despite being in the squad, made 46 runs in five T20 internationals against New Zealand before the start of this year's World Cup and his place in the team looked anything but guaranteed.

"Right after the New Zealand series, I was broken, I was completely out of my mind," said Samson in the post-match presentation.

"I was like my dreams have shattered, what else can I do?"

Samson played only one game against Namibia in the T20 World Cup group stage and scored 22 off eight balls. He returned against Zimbabwe in the Super Eight but scored only 24.

The narrative changed when the stakes rose.

The wicket-keeper-batter peaked in the knockouts, reeling off three successive 80-plus scores and finishing as the tournament's third-highest run-scorer with 321 runs.

"God had different plans," he said.

"I suddenly came back into the crucial games, and did what I could for my country. So I'm very proud and happy that I was courageous enough to dream about it."

Samson struck 89 in India's total of 255-5, setting up a 96-run win over New Zealand in the final and registering the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup final, capping a campaign