Sanju Samson Wins Hearts After Match-winning Effort Against England, Dedicates His POTM Award To Jasprit Bumrah

India vs England Semifinal, ICC T20 World Cup 2026: Hailing him as a true generational talent, Sanju Samson dedicated his Player of the Match award to Jasprit Bumrah following the pacer's stellar performance in India's T20 World Cup semifinal victory over England on a batting paradise at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday.

On a day when every bowler was smashed around the Wankhede Stadium, Bumrah stood out with exceptional figures of 1/33 in four overs while turning the match India's way with his special show towards the end. Samson, who laid the foundation for India's massive total of 253/7 with his 42-ball 89, said the award belonged to Bumrah, without whose magnificent bowling the wicketkeeper-batter wouldn't be "standing here" in the first place.

"All credit goes to Bumrah, I think the world-class bowler, a true once-in-a-generation player. I think that's what he delivered today. I think this award should go to him, actually.

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"I think if we didn't bowl that way in the death overs, I think I would not be standing here. All credit goes to the bowlers, how they backed themselves in the tough conditions," the humble Samson said in the post-match presentation.

This was the second successive fifty-plus knock for Samson, who delivered on the big stage once again following his exploits in the must-win Super Eights game against the West Indies at Kolkata. "Unbelievable feeling to play here, we wanted to put in a positive result. I knew I got some form going from the last game. I thought I needed to make the most out of my form, so I gave myself extra time. We know no score is stoppable, wanted as much as possible.

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"Feels really great. To be honest, I kind of knew that I got some form going from the last game, so I thought I needed to continue. I think it's not easy to find form at the crucial games for your country, so I thought big game, I need to make the most out of how I'm batting. So I gave myself an extra time."

Samson said the hosts wanted to put as many runs as possible at Wankhede. "I calculated my innings a bit. I prepared really well, and I think things came off nicely. Got a bit lucky to start off, and then I just wanted to carry on. Knowing, playing in Wankhede, we know that no score is stoppable here, so I just wanted to get as many runs as possible.

"Even 250 looked like chaseable here, and England played really well. All credit goes to how they batted, and we really had a great semifinal," he added. England ended at 246 for seven, falling short by seven runs.

Missing a century didn't matter to him at all, Samson said. "I think not at all. I think 100, I think, you know, 100 actually, you can't actually score a hundred. It actually comes in the process of, you actually, you can't actually, it's not a Test game, it's not an ODI game where you can go up and down. Once you've got the start, you're batting first. There is no other way. You just have to keep going hard.

"And once you, I think, end up on the right side, who knows, I think, what amount of runs I'm getting. So I'm very happy to get whatever I'm getting and very happy to contribute on the winning side for my country," Samson said.

India will take on New Zealand in the final on Sunday in Ahmedabad.