Sanju Samson is the most trending topic in Indian cricket at the moment and understandably so. On Sunday (March 1) in Kolkata, the Kerala batter produced a brilliant 50-ball 97* against West Indies to pilot India into the semifinals of T20 World Cup 2026. While he has produced three centuries in T20Is, this innings was arguably Samson's best-ever in an India shirt.
Samson's knock almost single-handedly took India home, although there were useful contributions around him, notably from Tilak Varma whose 15-ball 27 towards the end was critical. Skipper Suryakumar Yadav had a scratchy outing but importantly, he hung around with Samson for a half century stand to repair the early damage.
Samson, though, batted right till the end and while he missed out on his fourth T20I ton, the innings received rich praise from all over the globe. His innings was a class apart but equally profound was his celebration after hitting the winning stroke over mid-on to seal the run chase.
As soon as the formalities were done, Samson was on his knees to offer what seemed like a Muslim prayer before doing the Christian prayers and ended it with a Hinduism gesture, all in the matter of a few seconds. Whether deliberate or instinctive, it showed a man whose state has been the most famous for secularism in India.
For more context, Samson hails from the capital city of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, a place where even a specific area in Palayam is extremely popular for having a mosque, church and temple within close proximity to each other. It isn't wise to paint a religious tone to actions in sport and perhaps, Samson didn't have the intention either.
Possibly, it was Samson's gesture to thank all the Gods for helping him deliver an iconic innings on the grandest stage of them all. Or maybe, he didn't intend this at all and this is an overestimation from yours truly. A virtual quarterfinal in a World Cup game with his team under pressure, Samson stepped up to produce an innings that will go down as a massive statement from the 31-year-old.
(The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of THE WEEK)
