Mumbai, March 6 (IANS) After Sanju Samson produced yet another masterclass with the bat as India defeated England in a high-scoring thriller by seven runs to enter the final of the 2026 T20 World Cup, the wicketkeeper batter remained unfazed about narrowly missing out on a century for the second time in the tournament.

After hitting a match-winning unbeaten 97 runs off 50 balls to help India defeat the West Indies and reach the 2026 T20 World Cup semi-finals, Samson followed this up with another stunning 89 runs against England in the semifinal as India became the first team to enter the T20 World Cup final as defending champions.

“I did not miss two centuries. I have made 97 and 89 – it is a very big thing,” Samson said of his back-to-back match-winning innings during the post-match presser.

Samson will play his first World Cup final on Sunday against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, which the wicketkeeper batter called “one of the best moments” of his life.

“It means one of the best moments in my life. I’m very grateful for that. I have been playing this format for a very long time. I played around 300 or 400 T20s (328). I played from one to six (in the batting order). I have captained the (IPL) franchise (Rajasthan Royals). So I have the experience of knowing what does a team demand at the moment and what is my exact role in this XI. So that clarity definitely helps you to score runs the way you want to,” he said.

Samson was not considered a certain starter for the tournament after enduring a lean run during the home T20I series against New Zealand. Ishan Kishan initially opened the batting with Abhishek Sharma at the start of the World Cup, but the team management later reshuffled the order. Samson was promoted to open the innings, while Kishan was moved to No. 3 to provide stability as Abhishek struggled to find form during the tournament.

“It was a very, very challenging” period. I definitely wanted to come and do what I’m trying to do now for the country, wanted to win games in the World Cup, but I was trying a bit too much in the New Zealand series,” he said. “I wanted to make an impact and get into the XI of the World Cup here, but you know this format – this (T20) cricket can get very funny. Even the best in the world actually struggle to score runs in this format. So I had to respect the game. I had to work a bit more on my basics,” said Samson.

He continued, “When hard times were coming, I think my close people, the people who I love, who I support, they were with me. I closed all my windows. I shut down my phone. I was not on social media. I’m still not on social media so less noise, less people interacting with me. That really helped me to focus on the right direction and I’m very happy how I’m going.”

In Sunday’s title clash, India are chasing a few firsts as they take on New Zealand in Ahmedabad. They are aiming to become the first host team to win the T20 World Cup, the first team to defend the title and the first to win three T20 world titles.

–IANS

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