From 'shattered dreams' to Player of the Tournament: Sanju Samson credits Sachin Tendulkar's support

The most beautiful story ever. Sanju Samson was CRYING broken after the New Zealand series; his dreams were “completely shattered.” And then… SACHIN TENDULKAR stepped in. The God of cricket himself called Sanju, had big conversations, guided him… and look what happened. Sanju became PLAYER OF THE TOURNAMENT at the T20 World Cup 2026 with 321 runs and 26 SIXES. Let me tell you this EMOTIONAL story.

What Sanju Did in the World Cup?

Sanju Samson played ONLY 5 matches in this World Cup, but WHAT matches.

Match	Runs	Balls	Sixes	Against
vs Namibia	22	8	3	Warm-up
vs Zimbabwe	24	15	2	Super 8 start
vs West Indies	97*	50	4	Quarter-final
vs England (SF)	89	42	7	Semi-final
vs New Zealand (FINAL)	89	46	8	Final

TOTAL: 321 runs in 5 matches, average 80.25, strike rate 199.37, 26 SIXES.

He became the third batter ever to score fifties in both semi-final AND final after Shahid Afridi and Virat Kohli. He also broke the record for most sixes in a single T20 World Cup.

Sanju Samson is the T20 World Cup 2026 Player of the Tournament! 🔥

To think he wasn't India's first-choice opener at the start of the tournament... 😱 pic.twitter.com/oWZSxexX3c
— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) March 8, 2026

The DARK Days Before World Cup

But you know what happened BEFORE all this success? Sanju was SUFFERING.

After the New Zealand T20 series in January 2026, Sanju was dropped. He scored only 46 runs in 5 matches, while Ishan Kishan scored 215 in 4. He was OUT of the playing XI.

Sanju told Ian Bishop after winning the final: “After the NZ series, I was broken. My dreams were completely shattered. I was thinking what I could do, but God had different plans”.

Can you imagine? World No. 1? Player of the Tournament? At that moment, he was SITTING at home, shattered, no hope.

Then SACHIN TENDULKAR Called

Sanju revealed the MOST beautiful thing at the post-match presentation. He said shyly to Ian Bishop: “I hope I can share it here…”

Then he told EVERYONE:

“For the last couple of months, I have been in constant contact with Sachin sir. When I was sitting outside in Australia [during the October T20 series], I was not playing a game, so I thought about, ‘okay, what is the mindset required now?'”

“I reached out to the sir, and I had big, big conversations with him. And right yesterday also [before final], he called me up to check how I’m feeling. Getting guidance from someone like him, what more can I ask for?”

SACHIN TENDULKAR. The GOD of cricket. Calling Sanju before the final to check on him. That’s like… I can’t even describe.

What Sachin Gave Sanju?

Sanju explained what he got from those conversations:

“That clarity, that game preparation, that game awareness, that game sense… I think I’m very grateful for everyone who supported me”.

Sachin didn’t just give batting tips. He gave MENTAL STRENGTH. He taught Sanju how to THINK when not playing, how to PREPARE, and how to have GAME SENSE.

Sanju also revealed: “A lot of former players have reached out to me and tried to help me out” . But Sachin was SPECIAL.

Sanju Samson is the T20 World Cup 2026 Player of the Tournament! 🔥

To think he wasn't India's first-choice opener at the start of the tournament... 😱 pic.twitter.com/oWZSxexX3c
— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) March 8, 2026

Virat Kohli hyping Sanju Samson is the best thing on internet today 💀 pic.twitter.com/G55mLYwszk
— Deepu (@deepu_drops) March 8, 2026

The VISUALIZATION Secret

Sanju also shared something amazing. He said his success started YEARS ago.

“When I was in the 2024 World Cup team where I didn’t play, I kept visualising, kept on working, and this was exactly what I wanted to do” .

He VISUALIZED himself succeeding. Even when sitting on the bench, he DREAMED. And he said: “I was rewarded for being brave enough to dream” .

That’s SO inspiring. Even when you’re not playing, keep dreaming, keep working.

At the same time, attention has shifted to other global leagues where on-field performance remains the sole focus. Sunrisers Eastern Cape’s strong run at the top of the SA20 points table, driven by crucial bonus wins, highlights how franchise cricket elsewhere continues to thrive amid stability and sporting clarity.

Sunrisers Supreme: SEC Move Top of SA20 Table with Back-to-Back Bonus Point Wins

The FINAL Innings

In the final against New Zealand at Ahmedabad, Sanju scored 89 runs from 46 balls with 8 SIXES. He and Abhishek Sharma (52 off 21) added 98 runs in the first wicket. India made 255/5 – HIGHEST score in T20 World Cup final history.

Then Jasprit Bumrah took 4/15, Axar Patel 3/27, and India won by 96 runs. THIRD T20 World Cup title. The FIRST team to win three times. FIRST to defend the title. FIRST host nation to win.

What Others Said About Sanju?

Virat Kohli wrote on Instagram: “What a remarkable tournament from the most well-deserved man of the tournament @imsanjusamson. You performed when it mattered the most. Really happy for you chetta”

Suryakumar Yadav (captain) said: “Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, they are top players and we knew they would do something special, and they did it in the final” .

Ian Bishop (commentator) interviewed Sanju and just SMILED through his emotional speech.

Sanju’s EMOTIONAL Words After Winning

After receiving the Player of the Tournament award, Sanju said:

“It feels like a dream. I am very happy and grateful. Out of words, out of emotions” .

When asked what next, he said: “This itself is very big for me, I want to enjoy it right now and then after a few days I will figure out what more to do”.

He also mentioned he was traded to Chennai Super Kings for IPL 2026 for Rs 18 crore. . Now he plays for MS Dhoni’s team.

My Thoughts

You know what I think? This is why SACHIN TENDULKAR is GOD. Not just because he scored 100 centuries, but because he CARES about young players. He picked up the phone, called Sanju when he was broken, guided him, and checked on him before the final.

And Sanju – from being dropped, shattered, thinking dreams are over… to PLAYERS OF TOURNAMENT in the World Cup. Scoring 97*, 89, 89 in knockout matches. Hitting 26 sixes. Lifting the trophy.

This is a REAL LIFE FAIRY TALE.

It teaches us: when you’re down, when dreams shatter, keep working, keep visualizing, and GOD (and maybe Sachin Tendulkar) has different plans.

Sanju Samson – from shattered dreams to WORLD CHAMPION.