AHMEDABAD, India, March 9 (Reuters) - India opener Sanju Samson's rise from not being a preferred opener to finishing as the player of the tournament became the campaign's most compelling redemption arc as the hosts retained the men's Twenty20 World Cup title.
The 31-year-old arrived at the tournament under scrutiny after enduring a prolonged slump in form through last year and into the early stages of this one.
His returns were modest and inconsistent, and questions grew over whether India could continue backing a player whose promise often outpaced his output.
Samson, who did not play a game in the 2024 edition despite being in the squad, made 46 runs in five T20 internationals against New Zealand before the start of this year's World Cup and his place in the team looked anything but guaranteed.
"Right after the New Zealand series, I was broken, I was completely out of my mind," said Samson in the post-match presentation.
"I was like my dreams have shattered, what else can I do?"
Samson played only one game against Namibia in the T20 World Cup group stage and scored 22 off eight balls. He returned against Zimbabwe in the Super Eight but scored only 24.
The narrative changed when the stakes rose.
The wicket-keeper-batter peaked in the knockouts, reeling off three successive 80-plus scores and finishing as the tournament's third-highest run-scorer with 321 runs.
"God had different plans," he said.
"I suddenly came back into the crucial games, and did what I could for my country. So I'm very proud and happy that I was courageous enough to dream about it."
Samson struck 89 in India's total of 255-5, setting up a 96-run win over New Zealand in the final and registering the highest individual score in a T20 World Cup final, capping a campaign in which he also hit a record 24 sixes in a single edition.
He credited India legend Sachin Tendulkar for his preparation and mindset.
"From the last couple of months, I've been in constant touch with Sachin (Tendulkar) sir... reached out to sir and had huge conversations with him," Samson said.
"Getting guidance from someone like him, what more can I ask for - that clarity, game preparation, awareness and sense."
SPECIAL TALENT
Head coach Gautam Gambhir hailed Samson's performances and called him a 'special player' whose surge validated the value of backing talent through lean stretches.
"He deserves a lot more than actually he's got till now," Gambhir said.
"There was never any doubt on his talent. It was just about going out there and just be as free as he wanted to be.
"He has shown it to everyone that when you start believing in yourself, nothing matters to you apart from that."
Samson's turnaround mirrored India's own - less about personal peaks and more about collective purpose.
"Imagine if he would have been playing for a milestone, probably we wouldn't have got 250," Gambhir said.
India have now become the first team to lift the T20 World Cup title three times.
(Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in Ahmedabad; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)
