The fans of the India National Cricket Team quietly carry dreams, which they might not say out loud at times, in order to ensure that those dreams are fulfilled and do not get struck by a curse or get jinxed.
Sanju Samson standing in the middle of the pitch in the T20 World Cup 2026 final, not as a promise, not as potential, but as the Hero of the Match, is one of the dreams of the fans as India prepare to enter the marquee tournament.
In this article, we do not predict; instead, we dream. We manifest a story that Indian cricket fans, or at least Sanju Samson fans, have imagined at least once.
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Sanju Samson and the “Inconsistency”
The Kerala wicketkeeper-batsman Sanju Samson has been around international cricket for over a decade, but his story has been about pauses, what-ifs, and moments that never fully arrived.
If there’s one word that can adequately describe his journey, it is “inconsistency.” Whether it is inconsistency in selection or inconsistency in performance, Sanju Samson has seen it all.
For years, Samson did an intense grind in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and domestic cricket, and he gained a reputation for being an extremely talented batter. However, even after having all the talent in the world and getting well-deserved attention, he was never considered good enough for a longer rope.
He made his T20I debut in 2015 but has only played 55 T20I matches, in which he has scored 1048 runs at an average of 24.37 and a strike rate of 147.60. The right-handed batter has smashed three centuries and three fifties in T20I cricket so far.
Samson never got a consistent run in the Indian team, whether it is in the T20I or ODI format. However, the main reason behind his non-selection was mostly the superior performance of other wicketkeeper-batsmen and his own lack of form.
In ODI cricket, Sanju Samson has played 16 matches for India and scored 510 runs at an average of 56.66 and a strike rate of 99.60. His last ODI outing came in 2023 against South Africa, and even after scoring a ton in that match, he hasn’t been selected in the playing XI since.
Meanwhile, the major twist in Samson’s career came when Gautam Gambhir became the India head coach and provided him with a consistent run of opportunities as an opener in T20Is.
Samson repaid the faith of the head coach and smashed three centuries as an opener to seal the spot at the top of the order. However, a horrible run in the T20I series against England at home in 2025 saw the team management lose faith in him.
Sanju Samson struggled badly against short balls, and after that series, he was floated around the Indian batting order in the Asia Cup 2025 before eventually being dropped.
However, he got a new life when Shubman Gill failed to perform as an opener in T20I cricket and was axed just before the T20 World Cup 2026. This move led to Sanju Samson once again getting back his opening spot.
It was expected that the Kerala superstar would once again showcase sheer dominance as an opener, but that has not been the case so far, and just ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, he is struggling.
Samson’s miserable run has come at a time when the Jharkhand wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan is making a sensational comeback to the Indian team and threatening to take his place as an opener.
Sanju Samson’s T20I Career (Innings by Innings):
| Match Date | Runs |
| 19-Jul-15 | 19 |
| 10-Jan-20 | 6 |
| 31-Jan-20 | 8 |
| 02-Feb-20 | 2 |
| 04-Dec-20 | 23 |
| 06-Dec-20 | 15 |
| 08-Dec-20 | 10 |
| 25-Jul-21 | 27 |
| 28-Jul-21 | 7 |
| 29-Jul-21 | 0 |
| 24-Feb-22 | DNB |
| 26-Feb-22 | 39 |
| 27-Feb-22 | 18 |
| 28-Jun-22 | 77 |
| 06-Aug-22 | 30* |
| 07-Aug-22 | 15 |
| 03-Jan-23 | 5 |
| 03-Aug-23 | 12 |
| 06-Aug-23 | 7 |
| 08-Aug-23 | DNB |
| 12-Aug-23 | DNB |
| 13-Aug-23 | 13 |
| 18-Aug-23 | 1* |
| 20-Aug-23 | 40 |
| 17-Jan-24 | 0 |
| 10-Jul-24 | 12* |
| 13-Jul-24 | DNB |
| 14-Jul-24 | 58 |
| 28-Jul-24 | 0 |
| 30-Jul-24 | 0 |
| 06-Oct-24 | 29 |
| 09-Oct-24 | 10 |
| 12-Oct-24 | 111 |
| 08-Nov-24 | 107 |
| 10-Nov-24 | 0 |
| 13-Nov-24 | 0 |
| 15-Nov-24 | 109* |
| 22-Jan-25 | 26 |
| 25-Jan-25 | 5 |
| 28-Jan-25 | 3 |
| 31-Jan-25 | 1 |
| 02-Feb-25 | 16 |
| 10-Sep-25 | DNB |
| 14-Sep-25 | DNB |
| 19-Sep-25 | 56 |
| 21-Sep-25 | 13 |
| 24-Sep-25 | DNB |
| 26-Sep-25 | 39 |
| 28-Sep-25 | 24 |
| 29-Oct-25 | DNB |
| 31-Oct-25 | 2 |
| 19-Dec-25 | 37 |
| 21-Jan-26 | 10 |
| 23-Jan-26 | 6 |
| 25-Jan-26 | 0 |
A Dream Where Sanju Samson Wins India the T20 World Cup 2026
So, who’s ready for story time with this author, Bay Bay? (Adam Cole reference).
The horrible run of Samson in the five-match T20I series against the BlackCaps sees the Gautam Gambhir-led team management finally lose patience and form a new opening pair for the T20 World Cup 2026.
Abhishek Sharma walks out to open the innings against the USA on Saturday, February 7, with Ishan Kishan and not Sanju Samson. This sees Suryakumar Yadav batting at No. 3 permanently and a returning Tilak Varma batting at the No. 4 spot.
With a deadly batting unit and a strong bowling unit, India display unbelievable dominance and crush the USA, Namibia, Pakistan, and the Netherlands in the group stage.
The action moves to the Super Eights, and Ishan Kishan, who was going all guns blazing, fails in a couple of matches, leading to demands for Sanju Samson’s return to the playing XI.
However, Ishan Kishan fires back with back-to-back sensational knocks in India’s last Super Eight match as well as the semi-final against Australia. The knock in the semi-final comes at a cost, as Kishan is hobbling throughout the innings with a niggle.
On the day of the final against South Africa, Suryakumar Yadav announces Sanju Samson’s return to the playing XI at the last moment due to Ishan Kishan’s niggle.
Sanju Samson does a good job behind the stumps in the first innings before stepping onto the field while chasing 174 against a strong Proteas attack. He looks scratchy in the middle but somehow stays at the crease despite Abhishek Sharma falling early.
He receives good support from his skipper, and Samson finally breaches the fifty-run mark. But that’s not it – destiny has bigger plans for Sanju Samson. A huge LBW shout follows in the 19th over; it looks plumb, but the on-field umpire says no. South Africa take the review, and the third umpire is called in.
Somehow, Samson escapes dismissal due to the umpire’s call, and the match enters the final over with India needing 6 runs off the last 3 balls. Kagiso Rabada launches a fiery short ball to Samson, but this time, he is prepared.
Samson plays the most valuable pull shot of his life, and the ball sails for a stunning six as India seal the T20 World Cup 2026 trophy. On commentary, it is Ravi Shastri once again repeating his iconic lines, but this time, the wicketkeeper-batsman is not MS Dhoni: “It’s Sanju, who finishes off in style! A magnificent strike into the crowd! India lift the T20 World Cup!”
Also Read: Sanju Samson to play for West Indies in T20 World Cup? Daren Sammy makes a hilarious goof-up
