Former India captain Virat Kohli praised Sanju Samson for his outstanding performances in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup, after India defeated the New Zealand national cricket team in the 2026 final. Kohli congratulated the wicketkeeper-batter for winning the Player of the Tournament award and credited him for delivering in crucial matches for the India national cricket team during the latter stages of the competition.

“What a remarkable tournament from the most well-deserved man of the tournament. You performed when it mattered the most. Really happy for you,” Kohli wrote.

Samson played a key role in India’s title-winning campaign with three consecutive half-centuries in knockout matches. He scored an unbeaten 97 off 50 balls against the West Indies in a must-win Super Eight encounter, followed by 89 off 42 balls against England in the semifinal and 89 off 46 balls against New Zealand in the final.  Earlier in the tournament, Samson had modest scores of 22 off 8 balls against Namibia and 24 off 15 balls against Zimbabwe, but India retained faith in him for the crucial games.

Samson finished the tournament as India’s leading run-scorer with 321 runs in five innings at a strike rate of 199.37.

India captain Suryakumar Yadav also lauded Samson and opener Abhishek Sharma for their contributions in key matches. “I think it’s really important to understand what they are capable of. I knew they had the match-winners in them. The timing was perfect,” Yadav said in the post-match presentation.

He added that both players had stepped up when the team needed them most. “Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma are top players, and we knew they would do something special. They did it in the final,” Yadav said.