New Delhi: India wicketkeeper Sanju Samson, who has expressed his heartfelt gratitude after playing a key role in India’s successful run at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, said the moment felt like the realization of a long-held dream that he once thought was lost.
Samson staged a stunning comeback in the recently concluded tournament, overcoming inconsistency and bench woes to emerge as India’s leading run-scorer. He delivered crucial performances when it mattered most, from a virtual quarter-final against the West Indies cricket team to the title match against the New Zealand national cricket team, with a streak of half-centuries.
The wicketkeeper-batsman was also named Player of the Tournament for his consistency, scoring 321 runs in five innings at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37. His score included 27 fours and 24 sixes and he became the third highest scorer in the tournament.
He also surpassed Virat Kohli’s record of 319 runs in the 2014 World Cup to become the highest scorer by an Indian in a single T20 World Cup.
In a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Samson admitted that he had always dreamed of achieving such a milestone for the country but never thought it would eventually unfold in this way.
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“It’s unbelievable, I think I’ve said it before, I had dreams of achieving this, but I had no idea it was going to happen at this point in time. So so grateful. I have absolutely no words to describe it, honestly. I know, I think sincere prayers and sincere wishes are very powerful, and when so many people gave it to me, I don’t think I could ask for more. I think they were absolutely sincere in blessing me and praying for me,” Samson said.
India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs to retain the T20 World Cup title, becoming the first team to win three titles since the inception of the tournament in 2007 and the first team to successfully defend the title in consecutive editions.
Reflecting on the support from fans across the country, Samson said the fans’ prayers meant more to him than any personal achievement.
“I think this means more to me than anything in this life. I want to thank everyone who has wished me well and prayed for me. Thank you so much, it means the world to me. You can definitely have a dream, you can definitely think that’s what you want to achieve, but you can’t plan the way to get there. It’s something that only one person can do. I actually lost it,” Samson added.
Ahead of the T20 World Cup, the wicketkeeper-batsman had a tough time in the home T20I series against the Black Caps, scoring just 46 runs in five games. Samson revealed he believed his dream was over after the series against New Zealand.
“I think after the New Zealand series I gave up on it. I think my dream was shattered. I actually wanted to do it, wanted to be in the Indian team for this World Cup, but after the New Zealand series I think I didn’t take advantage of my opportunities and the dream was shattered. But I think by the grace of the world and God, things have turned around and I’m happy with what happened here,” Samson concluded.
