BCCI advised to add Sanju Samson as a regular player in India's white-ball setup

Former India captain and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly lavished praise on Sanju Samson after his match-winning knock helped India seal a place in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2026.

Samson stayed unbeaten on 97 from just 50 balls as India chased down the target with five wickets in hand to move into the last four. It was a calm and controlled innings under pressure, and he made sure he was there at the end to finish the job.

Ganguly lauds Samson

In recent months, Samson has been in and out of the T20I team. However, India brought him back for the crucial must-win match against Zimbabwe in Chennai, where he scored a quick 24 off 15 balls to give the team a solid start. On Sunday, he took more responsibility during the chase, paced his innings well and guided the side home.

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Ganguly believes performances like this show why Samson deserves a regular place in India’s white-ball teams.

"Outstanding. He's a very good player. He should consistently play for India in the white-ball," Ganguly told ANI.

The former skipper added that once Samson settles in, he can take the game away from the opposition. He also appreciated the way the wicketkeeper-batter adjusted his approach to suit the match situation.

"You know, when he gets in, he'll hurt the opposition. He played to the situation which is important," Ganguly added.

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Ganguly on Samson's critics

Ganguly also spoke about how Samson managed to silence his critics. Over the past few months, questions were raised about his place in the team, especially with other players being tried in similar roles.

“What it teaches all of us is that the same boy could not find in the last six months, could not find his place in the team, either there was Ishan Kishan opening or somebody else coming in. Just before the World Cup, I used to go through media headlines that said Sanju fails again, he should not be deserving a place in the side, India has so much talent, why is not Shubman Gill in the side and yet here is a boy in a quarterfinal game, gets 97 and takes you to the semifinal,” said Ganguly.

India will now take on England in the semi-final on March 5 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, with a place in the final at stake.