Former India T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav recently opened up about how dropping Sanju Samson during the initial phases of the 2026 T20 World Cup was the toughest decision of his leadership career.
Despite previously promising Samson an extended run in the team, tactical requirements and line-up shuffles meant Samson had to sit out early group-stage fixtures.
Once an opening arose due to a combination of team combination struggles and fitness issues, Samson stepped up spectacularly. His remarkable turnaround and blistering strike rates in the business end of the tournament became the definitive driving force behind India lifting the trophy.
Samson concluded his explosive tournament run accumulating 321 runs across just 5 innings, maintaining a staggering average of 80.25 and an unmatched strike rate of 199.38. His selfless attitude and clutch temperament rightfully earned him the Player of the Tournament accolade.
In a recent interaction with Aakash Chopra on the latter’s YouTube channel, Suryakumar revealed the conversation he had with Samson when the wicketkeeper-batter was left out of the side.
"We were on the bus, and I told him that it was going to be difficult with how it was going. He told me just one thing: do whatever you feel is right to make this team win the World Cup. He said he is there whenever I need him, as he will prepare as if he were going to play. I gained a lot of confidence hearing that. Aise bhi log hote hain life mein (There are people like this too)," Suryakumar said.
Surya then explained why leaving Samson out was the toughest decision of his captaincy tenure, which began with the Sri Lanka tour in 2024.
"That was my toughest call because I knew that he was a good person. We went to Sri Lanka in 2024, and he did not score a lot of runs there. He asked me what he should do. We were playing the Duleep Trophy in Anantapur. I told him I had confidence in him and that the coach had shown it as well. I assured him that he would play the next seven matches, and even if he scored seven ducks, he would still play the eighth," he added.
