Sanju Samson opens up on game-changing calls from the Master Blaster before T20 World Cup glory, 'Chetta' says it gave him clarity

Sanju Samson has been one of India's standout players in the T20 World Cup who scored 97* against West Indies and 89 against England in the semi-final. The star Kerala batter credited legendary batter and Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar for playing a crucial role in his remarkable, career-defining campaign at the 2026 T20 World Cup. For those unaware, Sanju Samson revealed he was 'broken and his dreams were completely shattered' after a poor T20I series against New Zealand just prior to the 2026 T20 World Cup. Sanju Samson revealed he reached out to the India great when he was dropped midway through the Australia series in October.

“When I was sitting out in Australia and not playing, I started thinking about the mindset I needed at that moment. That’s when I reached out to Sachin sir,” Samson said.

“We had long conversations. Even yesterday he called to check how I was feeling. Getting guidance from someone like him — what more can I ask for? It gave me clarity and helped me with my preparation, game awareness, and understanding. I’m very grateful to everyone who supported me.”


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Sanju Samson received guidance from Sachin

He revealed that his conversations over the past two months with Sachin Tendulkar reassured him that a turnaround wasn't far away. "To be honest, there has been a lot of guidance and suggestions from senior players," Samson said after winning the Player-of-the-Tournament award in India's successful T20 World Cup defence.

"A lot of former players have reached out to me and tried to help me out. From the last couple of months - I hope I can share it here - I've been in constant touch with Sachin sir. When I was sitting outside in Australia [during the T20Is in October]… I wasn't playing a game, I thought about what mindset is required.

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After a turbulent 2025 season, Samson had been handed an opportunity to reclaim his place in India’s T20I line-up. However, a poor run in the five-match home series against New Zealand saw him lose his spot in the playing XI once again. Samson was also part of the 2024 T20 World Cup-winning squad under Rohit Sharma too, but didn't play in a single game in the USA and the Caribbean then. He revealed his turnaround began then, and the "dream" to deliver what he did in Ahmedabad was born there.

From being left out of the squad after the series against New Zealand to emerging as a hero in a World Cup semifinal, the Kerala batter, affectionately called 'Chetta' (similar to 'Anna' in Tamil or 'Bhaiya' in Hindi) has scripted a remarkable comeback, rising like a phoenix. Reflecting on that difficult period, he said, “That phase was very challenging. I was trying a bit too hard to make an impact and get into the World Cup XI. In T20, even the best struggle to score runs.”

After India defeated New Zealand in the T20 World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar wrote that Sanju was “batting very smartly, knowing whom to attack and whom to defend against”, while also praising Ishan Kishan’s “superb bat speed” and “unbelievable shots”. He then added that 275 looked very much possible.