IND vs NZ: Sanju Samson becomes third player to score fifty in semifinals and final of same T20 World Cup

Sanju Samson has cemented his status as one of India's biggest big-match performers by becoming just the third player in T20 World Cup history to score a fifty in both the semifinals and final of the same edition. The star opener also won the player of the series award for his heroics in India's wins including the final clash where India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs.

Sanju Samson's strong form

Sanju Samson's semifinals heroics against England at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium set the tone. He blasted 89 off 42 balls, including eight fours and seven sixes, powering India to 253/7, the highest total in a T20 World Cup knockout game. His aggressive 26-ball fifty helped India dominate the powerplay and eventually secure a thrilling seven-run win despite England's Jacob Bethell's century chase.

Carrying that red-hot form into the final against New Zealand at Ahmedabad's Narendra Modi Stadium, Samson delivered again. He reached his fifty in style, striking at over 164 with four fours and four sixes in a crucial knock that anchored India's innings during a high-pressure chase for a third T20 World Cup title. However, he got dismissed by James Neesham after scoring 89 off 46 balls.

Sanju Samson joins elite list

The star opener follows in the footsteps of Pakistan's Shahid Afridi (2009) and India's Virat Kohli (2014), adding his name to this rare and prestigious list after India's strong 2026 campaign.

Sanju Samson wins the player of the series award

Sanju Samson was awarded the player of the tournament award for his remarkable and consistent performance in the 2026 T20 World Cup.

“It feels like a dream, actually. Very, very happy, very grateful. Out of words, out of emotions. I am just going through it, so feels a bit surreal,” Samson said when asked about his three consecutive match-winning knocks.

“To be very honest, I think, sir, I think this started one to two years before. When I was with the 2024 World Cup-winning team in West Indies, I couldn’t play a game. I kept on visualizing. I kept on dreaming. I kept on working. This is exactly what I wanted to do then. I thought I need to work in, I need to put in so much of work that this is exactly what I wanted to achieve. And by God’s grace, I think today things have turned around. I think right after the New Zealand series, I was broke. I was completely out of my mind. I was like, okay, my dreams have shattered. Okay, what else can I do? But God had different plans. I think I suddenly came back into the crucial games and I did what I could for my country,” he expressed.

“So, I think I am very proud and very happy that I was courageous enough to dream about it. And actually, things have turned up so nicely for me. So, very grateful. I think to be very honest, lot of guidance and suggestions from our senior players in the former Indian team have really reached out to me and they tried to help me out. But I think from last couple of months, I think I hope I can share it here. I think I have been in constant touch with Sachin Tendulkar sir. I think when I was outside, sitting outside in Australia, I was not playing a game. So, I thought about, okay, what is the mindset required now? So, I reached out to sir and I had huge, huge, big conversations with him. And right yesterday also, he called me up to check how am I feeling. So, I think, getting a guidance from someone like him, what more can I ask for? I think that clarity, that game preparation, that game awareness, that game sense,” Sanju Samson expressed his gratitude to Sachin Tendulkar.

“I think I am very grateful for everyone who supported me. . I think but this itself is very big for me. I need to enjoy it right now. And then I think after few days, we’ll figure out what next to do,” he concluded.