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India’s T20 World Cup 2024-winning captain Rohit Sharma’s conversation with Sanju Samson went viral after the wicketkeeper-batter scored an unbeaten 97 in a must-win virtual quarterfinal game against West Indies. Benched after a lacklustre run in the T20I series against New Zealand, Samson was waiting for a chance when Rohit told him to not get disheartened as it is a long tournament where opportunity can come knocking at the door anytime. The statement came true as Samson has delivered two consecutive match-winning knocks. Ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 final, Rohit was asked the reason behind his viral pep talk. The former T20I opener said that sometimes he can sense what the player is feeling. He is elated to see how the Kerala-born wicketkeeper has progressed since.
"I can sometimes feel the pulse of the player. I have been myself in that place where, you know, when I've been in a tournament like this and my chances haven't come, it's important to stay focused and try and do the right things and not get frustrated with you not getting the opportunity, and that's what I felt with him," Rohit told the ICC ahead of the all-important final at Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
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"Because he was consistently playing for India and then was dropped just before the World Cup started, you know, I just wanted to tell him that it's a long tournament and funny things have happened in the past, so I just wanted to reassure him that your chance would come. So it happened in the game where it was a crucial game for India and he played a blinder," he added.
The Rohit special ‘pep talk’ when he told Samson he won’t play
In the previous edition, Samson was about to play in the final against South Africa. In a last-minute move, Rohit had a conversation with Samson and told him he’s not playing. Later, Samson revealed that he told Rohit about regretting not playing under a great captain. A couple of years later, his words of wisdom helped him grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
Samson in contention for ‘Player of the tournament’
Ahead of the final, Samson is has 232 runs from four innings at an average of 77.33 and strike rate of 201.73. Another impactful knock can help him enter the top five run-scorers in the ongoing edition. He is already one of the eight contenders for the 'Player of the tournament' award.
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