- By Vishal Pushkar
- Mon, 02 Mar 2026 10:55 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
T20 World Cup 2026: Former India captain Sourav Ganguly threw his weight behind Sanju Samson, backing him to play regularly in India's white-ball teams as he voiced his astonishment at the negative feedback surrounding the dynamic keeper-batter leading up to the T20 World Cup. Samson scored an impressive 97 not out off 50 balls—his first fifty in a span of 13 innings—helping India chase down 196 runs in what turned out to be a virtual quarterfinal match against the West Indies on Sunday.
Describing it as an exceptional performance, Ganguly said, "He's an excellent player. He should definitely be a consistent participant for India in white-ball formats—100 percent."
"It was a virtual quarterfinal, and to be 97 not out shows his quality. He's that sort of a player... when he gets in, he will hurt the opposition."
ALSO READ: Rohit Sharma Labels This T20 WC Match Against Pakistan As His Favourite Among Other IND-PAK Contests
The innings came on a day when India's most established batters -- Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, skipper Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya -- departed cheaply.
But Samson absorbed the pressure, paced the chase smartly, and batted till the end playing a risk-free game.
"He played to the situation, and that was important. What it teaches all of us is that the same boy who, in the last six months, could not find his place in the team, whether it was Ishan Kishan opening or somebody else coming in.
"Just before the World Cup, I used to read headlines saying 'Sanju fails again', 'he should not deserve a place', 'India has so much talent, why is Shubman Gill not in the side?' - and yet here is a boy in a quarterfinal game, gets 97 not out and takes you to the semifinal," Ganguly added.
Recommended For You
India to play England in the second semifinal of the T20 World cup 2026 on Thursday.
Inputs from Agency