Sanju Samson's reflection of World Cup run echoes gratitude for Gambhir: ‘Gauti bhai and I have a very old relationship’

Sanju Samson reflected on his T20 World Cup win, expressing gratitude towards Gautam Gambhir for their long-standing relationship.

India’s T20 World Cup win gave Sanju Samson the kind of moment that seemed to gather years of patience, scrutiny, and persistence into one finish. But when he spoke in Thiruvananthapuram after the title win, Samson did not limit himself to celebration alone. His words carried gratitude, memory and a very clear sense of self.

Sanju Samson celebrates with his coach Gautam Gambhir after their team's win in the 2026 T20 Cricket World Cup final. (AFP)

At the centre of that reflection was Gautam Gambhir, the India head coach under whom Samson completed his title-winning campaign. Samson said the bond between them stretches far beyond this tournament, going back to his KKR days and shared Delhi cricket links, making the success feel personal as much as professional.

“Gauti bhai and I have a very old relationship. I think I met him when I was in KKR. He was the captain of the team, and he also lives in Delhi. I also played in the same academy where he was…so it’s a very long relationship, and what has happened from there till now, I think cannot be expressed in words,” Samson said to the media.

That statement made it feel like a player describing his journey, which had come full circle. From franchise cricket and academy connections to standing together after a World Cup triumph, the relationship clearly meant more to him than a standard dressing room association.

Notably, Gautam Gambhir had praised Sanju Samson's ability and potential before his coaching assignment with India began. During the tournament, Samson failed to justify his place in the playing XI in the initial stages. But when the team needed him the most, Gambhir trusted him again, and Samson repaid the faith with three of the biggest knocks in the championship run.

Samson also revealed another deeply personal moment arrived in the form of a message from Sachin Tendulkar, a gesture that added even more weight to an already unforgettable phase of his career. “I got a message from Sachin, sir. It was a very emotional message for me,” said Samson.

For any Indian cricketer, hearing from Tendulkar carries a significance of its own. For Samson, it would have mattered even more as the batter himself revealed that Sachin helped him while he was struggling before the tournament.

‘I never wanted to be selfless’: Sanju Samson

But the most revealing part of the interaction was when he spoke about the way he sees himself as a cricketer. Rather than offering a generic line about sacrifice, he chose to define his role on his own terms.

“I never wanted to be selfless. I have always wanted to be myself. So I bring a lot of different qualities, a lot of strengths, a lot of weaknesses. I like to look at cricket as a team sport. So I think we play to win. And looking at what things have happened in my life lately, I definitely carry a lot of dreams with me. So a lot of youngsters, a lot of people, not even in cricket, a lot of people in different careers, they look at me like their own careers, like their own life,” Samson concluded.

That is what made Samson’s post-tile reflection stand out. It was not only about winning. It was about staying true to the player, and person, he always believed he had to be.