Summary of this article
India beat New Zealand by 96 runs in the T20 World Cup 2026 final after posting 255/5
Sanju Samson starred again with 89 off 46, winning Player of the Tournament with 321 runs
Samson revealed he had been in regular contact with Sachin Tendulkar for guidance
Sanju Samson, having starred in India’s winning campaign in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, credited guidance from Sachin Tendulkar with his match-winning performances in the last three games. India beat New Zealand by 96 runs to lift their record third Men’s T20 World Cup title.
“For the last couple of months, I have been in constant contact with Sachin sir. I reached out to him and had big, big conversations with him,” Samson said after the match. “Getting a guidance from someone like him, what more can you ask for? I am very grateful for everyone who supported me.’
Samson was named Player of the Tournament for his performances. After coming into the side midway through the tournament, Samson single handedly fired India to a five-wicket victory in the must-win Super Eight game against West Indies, remaining unbeaten at 97 off just 50 balls.
He then starred in the semi-final win over England, where he smashed 89 runs off 42 balls, including eight boundaries and seven sixes. This led India to a seven-run victory, booking their place in the final.
Samson’s 89 Powers India To Final Win
In the final, Samson continued his rich vein of form, top-scoring for his side with another 89-run knock off 46 balls, including five fours and eight sixes. His performance lifted India to 255/5 – the third-highest total in the tournament’s history.
Jasprit Bumrah then took four wickets as New Zealand were bowled out for 159, sealing a dominant win for India.
“Feels like a dream. Very happy and grateful. Out of words, out of emotions,” Samson said post-match. “To be honest, it started one-two years before. 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.|
“After the New Zealand series, I was broken, my dreams were completely shattered. And I was thinking what can I do,” he added. “But God had different plans. And I was rewarded for being brave enough to dream. A lot of former players have reached out to me and tried to help me out.”
Samson finished the tournament as the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament with 321 runs in just five matches. The 31-year-old also touched on his future plans, saying, “This (win) itself is very big for me, I want to enjoy it right now, and then after a few days will figure out what more to do.”
