T20 WC: Sanju Samson on feeling broken before his remarkable comeback

T20 World Cup 2024's Player of the Tournament Sanju Samson spoke about feeling 'broken' after the New Zealand series. He revealed how accepting his failures and a chat with coach Gautam Gambhir propelled his historic comeback.

'I let myself feel that I was broken': Samson on T20 WC journey

India's star wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who scripted history and became a household name in India for his remarkable exploits in the men's T20 World Cup 2024, has spoken about the upheaval he went through earlier for not being able to make use of opportunities that came his way and how acceptance helped him deal better with the struggle.

Samson said he felt broken after the New Zealand series before the T20 World Cup, in which he struggled to score with the bat. He took time to process his emotions, isolating himself for four to five days.

Samson's remarkable comeback earned him the Player of the Tournament award in the T20 World Cup, and he scored 321 runs in five matches.

"It was in my mind, but when we were playing the World Cup in the West Indies a year and a half ago, I was thinking, visualising and practising to do something like this. But after the New Zealand series, I thought my dreams were shattered. I think God had his own plans, and I'm so grateful. I was broken after the New Zealand series, and I let myself feel that I was broken. I was absolutely not moving from my bed for four to five days. I couldn't bat. I was completely out of the system. I wasn't happy, and I behaved like I wasn't happy. I let myself feel the emotions. So, I accepted the fact that I didn't use the opportunities I got. I was realistic with myself. I didn't fight those emotions, and I didn't pretend to be confident. Once I accepted the fact, I could recover a bit quicker," Sanju Samson said on JioHotstar.

'Sanju, be ready': The crucial chat with Gautam Gambhir

Samson also revealed meeting Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir before the Zimbabwe game in the Super 8 fixture. "I met Gauti bhai in the gym before the Zimbabwe game, and that's where he told me, 'Sanju, be ready, you are going to play the next game.' I was 100 per cent ready. In my mind, I said, 'Yes, now let's do the talking, this is what I was waiting for.' But I would like to share something very honest, I don't like to compete with my teammates in the squad. Once we are together fighting for a cause, then I bring out my best. During the New Zealand series, it was always about, 'Will I be part of the team or not?' I never perform well when I am fighting for places. But when the opportunity came, we were together fighting for one goal, the World Cup, so I'm glad things worked out in the end," he added.

From bench to glory: A comeback for the ages

Samson scripted a comeback for ages, as he overcame poor form and exclusion from the playing eleven to shine when everything was at stake. Having scored just 46 runs in five innings against New Zealand before this tournament, Samson lost his place in the team to Ishan Kishan. When a leftie-dominant top-order was struggling against off-spin, destiny handed Sanju a second chance. Right from the virtual quarterfinal against West Indies to the title clash against New Zealand, Samson displayed remarkable strokeplay and broke records.

By the numbers: Samson's record-breaking run

Samson made 321 runs in five innings at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37, with 27 fours and 24 sixes, and ended as the third-highest run-getter in the tournament. He also surpassed Virat Kohli's total of 319 runs in the 2014 T20WC edition. Pakistan batter Sahibzada Farhan overtook Virat's record earlier, ending the tournament as the leading run-getter with 383 runs at an average of 76.60 and a strike rate of 160.25, with two centuries and two fifties. (ANI)

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