India’s Sanju Samson said winning the Player of the Tournament award at the T20 World Cup 2026 “feels like a dream” after finishing as the leading scorer for the champions with 321 runs.
The wicketkeeper-batter averaged 80.25 and struck at 199.38 across five innings, playing key knocks in the knockout stages as India clinched the title.
Samson finished third overall on the tournament run charts behind Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan (383 runs in six matches) and New Zealand’s Tim Seifert (326 runs in eight matches), but his contributions proved decisive in India’s title run.
“It feels like a dream,” Samson said after the final. “I am very happy and grateful. Out of words, out of emotions.”
Samson produced high-impact performances in three straight knockout games against the West Indies, England and New Zealand. He scored 97 not out (50 balls) in a Super 8 clash described as a virtual quarter-final, followed by 89 (42 balls) in the semi-final against England and another 89 (46 balls) in the final against New Zealand.
“To be honest, it started one-two years before,” Samson said of his tournament run. “When I was in the 2024 T20 World Cup team where I didn’t play, I kept visualising, kept on working and this was exactly what I wanted to do.”
Samson said he had endured a difficult period leading into the tournament, including a lean run in a bilateral series against New Zealand in January where he managed only 46 runs in five matches.
“After the New Zealand series I was broken, my dreams were completely shattered. And I was thinking what can I do. But God had different plans. And I was rewarded for being brave enough to dream,” he said.
The 31-year-old Samson also revealed he had been in regular contact with India great Sachin Tendulkar in the months leading into the tournament.
“A lot of former players have reached out to me and tried to help me out. For the last couple of months, I have been in constant contact with Sachin sir,” Samson said.
“I reached out to him and had big, big conversations with him. Getting guidance from someone like him, what more can you ask for? I am very grateful for everyone who supported me.”
Asked what he hoped to achieve next, Samson said he was focused on enjoying the moment.
“This itself is very big for me, I want to enjoy it right now and then after a few days will figure out what more to do,” he said.
READ MORE: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/t20-world-cup-2026-player-tournament-sanju-samson
