‘Aise bhi log hote hain life mein’: Suryakumar reveals Sanju Samson’s incredible response after being dumped | cricket news
Suryakumar Yadav opened up about one of the toughest decisions he made during India’s title-winning T20 World Cup 2026 campaign and revealed how Sanju Samson responded to being left out of the playing XI.Samson came into the tournament struggling for form and initially did not feature in India’s plans. Ishan Kishan impressed at the top during the series against New Zealand and was preferred ahead of him, leaving Samson waiting for his chance.But India’s slow start to the World Cup, coupled with Abhishek Sharma.
Not being fully fit and the team’s struggles with the effects eventually brought Samson back into contention. Once given the opportunity, the wicketkeeper-batsman completely transformed his campaign.Samson delivered back-to-back crucial performances in the knockout stages to help India win the World Cup and was subsequently named Player of the Tournament. He finished with 321 runs in five innings at an average of 80.25, while his strike rate of 199.38 underlined the impact he made during India’s title-winning campaign.
Reveals Samson’s response
Suryakumar, who captained India during the tournament, recalled speaking to Samson after the decision to leave him out.Instead of expressing frustration, Samson told his captain that he would continue to prepare as if he were going to play and that he would be ready when the team needed him.“We were on the bus and I told him that it was going to be difficult because of how everything was going. He only told me one thing: do what you think is right for this team to win the World Cup. He said that he will be there when I need him, that he will prepare as if he were going to play.
I gained a lot of confidence from hearing that. Aise bhi log hote hain life mein (There are people like that too),” Suryakumar said on Aakash Chopra’s YouTube channel.For Suryakumar, the decision was particularly difficult because he had previously backed Samson during a lean period and assured him that he would receive a long run.
“That was my hardest decision”
The former India captain recalled Samson’s struggles during the 2024 tour of Sri Lanka, when the batsman failed to score much before seeking advice from Suryakumar during the Duleep Trophy in Anantapur.Suryakumar said he and the coach had faith in Samson and promised him a long career in the team.“That was my toughest decision because I knew he was a good person. We went to Sri Lanka in 2024 and he didn’t score many runs there. He asked me what he should do. We were playing the Duleep Trophy in Anantapur. I told him that I had confidence in him and the coach had also shown it. I assured him that I would play the next seven matches and even if he scored seven ducks, he would still play the eighth,” he added.Faith finally appeared justified on the biggest stage. Samson went from being out of the XI at the start of the World Cup to becoming one of India’s most important players in the knockout rounds.
From World Cup hero to uncertain future
Samson’s situation has become complicated again after the World Cup. The IPL took place after the T20 World Cup and Samson enjoyed a productive campaign, scoring 477 runs in 13 innings at an average of 47.7. However, his strong IPL season has not translated into a secure spot in India’s T20I setup.After just three failures on the tour of Ireland and England, Samson was dropped from the playing eleven and was also not included in India’s squad for the tour of Zimbabwe. However, he featured in the fifth and final T20I against England.His immediate future with the national team remains uncertain, although he has been included in India’s squad for the next Asian Games.
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