India opener Sanju Samson has indicated that he has been overdoing it during the home series against New Zealand earlier this year as he is seeking to secure a spot in the playing XI to the T20 World Cup 2026. The keeper-batter disclosed that he later turned on the outside noise and even left social media to concentrate on his batting.
The Men in Blue scored 89 off 42 balls as rated the best scorer by Samson as India prevailed by seven runs over England in a tense semifinal of the T20 World Cup 2026 at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, March 5. Sent to bat, India had made 253-7 in their 20 overs and then crept home to victory after Jacob Bethell (105 off 48) had started to give them extraordinary alarm.
At the post-match press conference, Samson was vocal about how the issue of being dropped out of the playing XI during the first T20 World Cup has helped him overcome it and how he has made his way back. The stumper admitted:
“That was very challenging for me. I definitely wanted to come and do what I’m trying to do now for the country – contribute and win games in the World Cup. But, I think, I was trying a bit too much in the New Zealand series. I wanted to make an impact and get into the XI of the World Cup here. But cricket can be very funny.
“Even the best in the world struggle to score runs in this format. So, I had to respect the game. I had to come back to my basics. When hard times were coming, my close people were with me. I closed all my windows. I shut down my phone. I was not on social media. I’m still not on social media. So less noise, less people interacting with me – that really helped me to focus in the right direction,” the Kerala batter added.
Samson’s effort against England in the T20 World Cup semifinal earned him Player of the Match for the second time in a row. In their most recent Super 8 match, Team India defeated the West Indies by five wickets thanks to his brilliant 97* from 50 balls.
“It was definitely playing on my mind” – Sanju Samson on battle with Jofra Archer
One of the highlights of Samson’s performance on Thursday was his dismissal of England’s leading bowler Jofra Archer. When the teams met in India at the beginning of 2025, this same bowler had removed him three times. Archer’s speed and bounce had unnerved Samson during that series. This time, the Indian opener claimed to be far more prepared. He said:
“It was definitely playing on my mind. Last time, when we played them in home conditions, Jofra was a very effective bowler. So I had to do some preparation. I had to be a bit clearer in my head. I tried to apply it today. He’s definitely a world-class bowler. You need to respect what he does. At the same time, you need to be confident as well. I was a bit more confident as I just played a really good innings a couple of days ago.”
Samson’s stunning performance against England on Thursday included eight fours and seven sixes. He toe-ended a wide delivery from Will Jacks to deep cover, ending his elegant knock.
