Former India head coach Rahul Dravid praised Sanju Samson for his outstanding performance in the T20 World Cup 2026. The Keralam wicketkeeper-batter, who was unable to secure a permanent spot in the playing XI at the start of the tournament, made a stunning comeback to offer electric starts for the team in crucial games.
With scores of 97*, 89, and 89 in India's three knockout games, Sanju Samson was named Player of the Tournament for his 321 runs in five games at a strike rate of 199.37.
“It was really nice to see Sanju be able to get it altogether in those final three games for India. He has been in and out of the team for a long time. He has performed and then lost his spot. But he has worked so hard, and it was really good to see him get it altogether," Dravid told Star Sports.
Rahul Dravid, whose tenure as India's head coach ended with the Men in Blue winning the 2024 T20 World Cup, praised the current team under Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir for staying true to the expectations of fans in the T20 World Cup.
“Lovely to see the performance of the T20 side. The expectations were immense. They started as favorites. It’s never easy to begin the tournament as a favorite and go on to win the trophy. It comes with its own pressure and challenges. It was really nice to see Surya and Gautam do that," Dravid added.
Rahul Dravid received the coveted Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award from the BCCI at the Naman Awards on March 15. He expressed gratitude for having played for the country and contributed even after retirement.
“Very grateful to have received the award. Very grateful for the opportunities that I have had in my life. I’ve been lucky to have played with some of the greatest cricketers. I have been lucky to have traveled the world, playing for my country. Very humbled by the opportunities the game has given me," he said.
Speaking about the growth of Indian cricket over the years, Dravid said, “It’s been phenomenal. Amazing to see how Indian cricket has grown over the decades. It always had amazing talent, good administrators, and coaches. We have been able to back that with incredible infrastructure. We always had a really good domestic cricket system and junior cricket structure. And the kind of fans we have, India's cricket has deserved to have success on the field."
