Gautam Gambhir deserves credit for Sanju Samson's form, says Pakistan legend Shoaib Akhtar

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Sanju Samson's explosive form in the T20 World Cup 2026 has spotlighted Gautam Gambhir's pivotal role as India coach, earning praise from Pakistan legend Shoaib Akhtar for pushing hard for the wicketkeeper-batter's inclusion.

Despite early bench time amid tough Super 8 losses like to South Africa, Samson's timely return has fueled India's charge to the final against New Zealand.

Shoaib Akhtar, on PTV Sports' Game On Hai show, highlighted Gambhir's determination in securing Samson's spot despite resistance.

"He has fought with everyone to get him into the team. His selection has been done forcefully," said Akhtar.

He recalled Samson's long wait since 2014 hype, overshadowed by MS Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik, noting, "Even now, Gambhir has fought with everyone to get him into the team. Basically, his selection has been done forcefully and after a lot scrutiny. He didn't feature in the tournament initially."​

Gambhir himself addressed Samson's benching post a rough New Zealand series, calling it a needed reset before his Eden Gardens heroics.

"I have always said that he is a world class player, he is a great talent and hopefully he can kick off from now and hopefully we can see a lot more innings like this from Sanju," Gambhir stated.

This faith turned Samson into India's top opener with 200+ runs in just four innings, joining Rohit Sharma, Gambhir, and KL Rahul in elite company.

Sanju Samson in T20 World Cup

Samson has amassed 232 runs across four outings at 77.33 average and 201.73 strike rate, featuring two fifties and a peak 97* in Kolkata's high-stakes West Indies chase, a virtual quarterfinal thriller. His semi-final 89 off 42 against England at Wankhede matched Virat Kohli's 89* from 2016 there, while 16 sixes shattered Rohit Sharma's 2024 edition record of 15.

The India player has also been nominated by ICC for the Player of the Tournament award, and a strong performance in the final can make it a reality for the Kerala-born player.