Nearly four months after India's ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 triumph in Barbados, Sanju Samson revealed that he was told to stay ready to play in the final but was told 10 minutes before the toss thath he has been benched. Samson recalled how captain Rohit Sharma broke the news to him and said that they will go with an unchanged side.
"I had a chance to play the final. I was told to stay ready. I was ready. However, they decided before the toss that we would go with the same team. I was like, no worries. I was in that type of mood," Samson told Vimal Kumar on his YouTube channel.
Rishabh Pant was the prominent wicketkeeper-batter and played all the matches while Samson warmed the bench. Samson said that he told Rohit that for now the focus should be on the match and he will talk to him later. However, Rohit walked up to him again and apologised to him.
"During the warm-up, Rohit took me to the side and started to explain to me why he is making that decision. He was like, You understood, na? You know his way, very casual? I told him, 'Let us win the match and then talk.' You focus on the match," said the Kerala-born wicketkeeper-batter.
"He came back one minute later and said, 'I know you are cursing me in your mind.' I think you are not happy. I feel like you have something on your mind. Then we had a discussion. I told him, 'As a player, I want to play'," he added.
Samson’s only regret after T20 World Cup 2024
The 29-year-old said that he told Rohit that he will have one regret that he would not play under the leadership of Rohit.
"Since childhood, I wanted to come here and do something. Then he was like, 'My pattern is like this' and all that. I said I totally respect that you came and explained me. I said, 'I will have a regret; I could not play a World Cup final with a leader like you.' This will be a regret in my heart that I missed a World Cup final with a leader like Rohit Sharma. That will stay in my life," said the batter who scored his maiden T20I century as opener against Bangladesh earlier this month.
"After this, I thought, such a big thing like a World Cup final. Before the final, you have changed your decision. You spent 10 minutes with the player that is not playing just before the toss. He gave me 10 minutes before the toss. After that, I got to know this person has some other qualities.
"If I were in their place, I would be thinking about the players who are playing or my batting. I will explain to Sanju later; that is what normally you think. At that point, he thought 'I have to explain to Sanju, why I took that decision.' At that point, he won a place in my heart that will stay for a lifetime," he said lauding the former India T20I captain.
Samson will be back in action on the international stage as India tour South Africa for the four-T20I series starting November 8.
