Sanju Samson’s comeback story – 4 day camp in Thiruvananthapuram:Prepared for every ball and every pitch with coach Zubin Bharucha

Eden Gardens Stadium and the roar of over 58,000 spectators. In the do-or-die Super-8 match of the T20 World Cup 2026, West Indies had set a massive target of 196 runs for India. In this high-pressure environment, when the Indian innings began to falter, Sanju Samson played an innings (unbeaten 97 runs) that went down in cricket history. It wasn’t just a flurry of fours and sixes, but this innings was a prime example of the patience, calm, and mental strength of a player who had been dropped from the team just a few months ago due to continuous poor form. This match-winning innings, played in 50 balls, has directly propelled India into the semi-finals. Sanju Samson is now back in the exact role for which he was chosen – a wicketkeeper, a brilliant opener, and a reliable match-winner. This innings is not just a victory, but the story of a player’s never-say-die spirit. He was getting stuck on the trigger movement, then strengthened his foot position Sanju has always been known for his ‘stillness’ at the crease (keeping the body calm and stable during batting), but his form declined in 2025. A series of dismissals on short balls began, and a kind of haste started appearing in his batting. Indian team’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak revealed that Sanju was getting stuck on his ‘trigger movement’. He was getting into position much before the ball arrived, which was disturbing his balance. Kotak and Sanju together strengthened his base (foot position). Against the fast balls of Jason Holder and Shamar Joseph against West Indies, his body was perfectly balanced, allowing him to easily play cut and pull shots. Mindset: After scoring a fifty, he took guard as if he was starting again from zero Sanju completed his fifty in the 10th over at Eden Gardens, hitting a boundary off Gudakesh Motie’s ball. Dinesh Karthik, who was commentating, shared an interesting observation after completing his fifty. Sanju took guard at the crease as if he was starting again from zero. His intention was clear to return only after finishing the match. In the 14th over, when India needed 92 runs from 48 balls, he changed gears. Throughout his innings, he hit 12 fours and 4 sixes, but celebrated only when victory was assured. 4-Day special camp in Thiruvananthapuram The foundation for Sanju’s success was laid much before the World Cup in his hometown, Thiruvananthapuram. Before the series against New Zealand, Samson had called experienced coach Zubin Bharucha to Kerala. For four consecutive days and four nights, Sanju practised rigorously on red soil, black soil, and cement pitches. He faced spinners, fast bowlers, and side-arm throw-down specialists day and night. According to 56-year-old Bharucha, the results of this camp were not immediately visible in the New Zealand series (where Sanju scored only 46 runs in 5 T20 matches), but this intensive practice proved to be a game-changer for him in terms of World Cup preparation. The journey from self-doubt to becoming a ‘match-winner’, seizing the opportunity Samson, who became ‘Player of the Match’, honestly admitted that there was a time when he started doubting himself. He said, “I always wondered if I could do it? But I kept my faith.” Ishan Kishan had replaced him after the New Zealand series. He even remained completely on the bench in the 2024 World Cup. But he did not give up. He continued to sweat it out in net practice, and when the team needed a strong right-hander amidst a left-hander-heavy top order, Samson made full use of the opportunity.