‘Samson mania’ has taken over the cricketing globe. And why not? After years of drifting under the radar, Sanju Samson has finally delivered on what his talent always promised, with class, precision and a remarkable sense of calm, producing an innings that single-handedly carried India into the semifinals in their Super 8 clash against the West Indies on Sunday. The noise around what is arguably the finest knock of his career has not stopped since.
For a while, it looked like this would be another World Cup where Samson felt surplus to requirements. The last 15 months had been turbulent: a dip in form, a positional shuffle, and eventually being dropped. He had little control over the chaos, only the choice to stay ready. And he did just that, refining his game, but more importantly, preserving belief.
Almost accidentally, the opportunity arrived when India, pushed to the brink, had nowhere else to turn. And when called upon, Samson emerged as the saviour.
With India’s vulnerability against off-spin exposed, the only right-hander in the top order took it upon himself to counter the threat. The result was immediate: in the must-win clash against Zimbabwe in Chennai, India rediscovered their trademark blitzkrieg rhythm. Then came Kolkata. The unbeaten 97 off 50 in a chase of 196 was worth more than any of his three record centuries in 2024. It was the innings that had long eluded Samson, one that silenced doubters and rewarded believers. But his job is far from finished.
Next up are the 2022 champions. For the third straight T20 World Cup, India and England will meet in a semifinal, this time at the Wankhede Stadium on Thursday.
If Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan were the early tournament targets, England will now prepare for the Samson threat as well. And for Samson, this is more than just another knockout game.
Ironically, his downturn began against England. During their tour of India in January 2025, he managed just 51 runs in five innings, three single-digit scores and a scratchy 12-ball 16 at the Wankhede. And a pattern emerged: high pace unsettled him. He fell to express quicks in all five matches, including three successive dismissals to Jofra Archer. The same vulnerability resurfaced in the home series against New Zealand in January this year. Across three innings, he scored 16 runs, dismissed each time by fast bowlers, twice by Matt Henry and once by Kyle Jamieson.
On Thursday, he faces two of the quicks from that England series again, Archer and Jamie Overton, who have combined for 19 wickets in this World Cup. But it is Archer who looms largest.
The Rajasthan Royals teammate dismissed Samson three times in that 2025 series, conceding just 25 runs in 23 balls. England know the match-up favours them. Archer, after all, has been the most lethal new-ball bowler of this tournament, with eight wickets and a tournament-best 66 per cent dot-ball rate in the powerplay.
For Samson, this semifinal won’t be just India versus England, but a battle against his vulnerability, his memory and against Archer. And perhaps it could prove to be the final step in his redemption arc.
