Sanju Samson Opens Up on Rohit Sharma's Promise Before India's T20 World Cup Triumph

India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson has revealed he did not believe Rohit Sharma when the captain assured him he could still have a major role to play at the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 after being dropped at the start of the tournament.

Speaking on JioStar's Believe, Samson reflected on the highs and lows of his international career, explaining how he went from fearing his World Cup dream was over to finishing as the tournament's Player of the Tournament.

Sanju Samson admits he thought his World Cup was over

Samson entered the World Cup on the back of a disappointing T20I series against New Zealand, where he struggled for runs and saw Ishan Kishan move ahead of him in India's pecking order.

The Rajasthan Royals captain admitted he accepted his fate as Kishan seized his opportunity.

"I realised I was overdoing it, and my wife was right, being happy and mentally in a good space is much more important than putting in hours and hours of practice."

He added:

"I could clearly see that Ishan was moving above me in the pecking order. You get five matches and score 24, 6, 6, 10 and 0, then another guy comes in, scores 70-odd straightaway, gets a hundred later in the series, and the next match is directly in the T20 World Cup. Anyone would prefer an in-form batter."

Samson said he believed his World Cup hopes had disappeared.

"It was clear that the World Cup was done for me. Whatever had to happen had happened, and the only thing I could do was sit quietly and clap."

Rohit Sharma's prediction proved to be true

Despite leaving Samson out of the playing XI, Rohit Sharma reassured him before India's opening game against the USA that an opportunity could still come later in the tournament.

Samson admitted he struggled to accept those words at the time.

"To be honest, I didn't believe him at that time. Sorry."

The wicketkeeper explained that he was still dealing with the disappointment of missing out.

"He might have spoken from his heart or from his experience, but that day I wasn't able to see what he was seeing."

Instead of dwelling on the setback, Samson said he gradually rebuilt himself mentally during the tournament.

"I started asking myself questions, why do I play cricket? What's my purpose? It was like I was rediscovering myself while the World Cup was going on. And then everything just came back."

Sanju Samson recalls defining knock against West Indies

Samson eventually got his opportunity and delivered one of the defining innings of India's campaign against the West Indies in what he described as a virtual quarter-final.

The 31-year-old said everything clicked that day.

"There are days I've played in the IPL and for India, and I've scored those centuries, when everything just feels right. It was one of those days."

He also revealed he had to adapt his natural attacking instincts as wickets kept falling around him.

"Every time I felt it was time to attack, a wicket would fall at the other end. That's when I realised the game is the biggest teacher. The game tells you what to do."

'That moment will stay with me till my last breath'

Samson also spoke about his emotional celebration after the innings, saying it reflected his deep faith rather than personal achievement.

"It's a very private celebration, but it became very public."

He added:

"I'm a very strong believer. I believe in my God, and I know it wasn't me. I've played enough innings to know which shots I hit, and then there are some where I wonder, 'How did I hit that one?'"

Reflecting on helping India, Samson concluded:

"I'm just very grateful that it happened through me, that I was able to help the team. That moment will stay with me till my last breath. It was very special."