In a surprising revelation, the Indian cricketer Sanju Samson shared that he was originally supposed to play in the T20 World Cup 2024 final against South Africa but was dropped from the playing XI just moments before the toss in Barbados. Despite not featuring in any of the matches leading up to the final, Samson had been informed that he would be included in the squad for the final match. However, captain Rohit Sharma later informed him of the change in plans.
During an interview, Sanju Samson said, “I had a chance to play the final. I was told to stay ready and I was ready but they decided before the toss that they would keep the same team. I was like, no worries. I was in that type of mood.”
Sanju Samson detailed that Rohit Sharma approached him during warm-ups, informing him that he would not be part of the playing XI for the final. Sanju said, “During the warm-up, Rohit Sharma took me to the side and started to explain to me why he is making that decision. He was like, You understood, na? You know he is very casual? I told him, ‘Let us win the match first and then we will talk.’ You should focus on the match.”
The Kerala cricketer added, “He came back one minute later and said, ‘I know you are cursing me in your mind.’ I think you are not happy. I feel like you have something on your mind. Then we had a discussion. I told him that as a player, I surely want to play’.”
The skipper spent about 10 minutes explaining the reasoning behind the last minute decision. India chose to stick with Rishabh Pant as their keeper-batter throughout the tournament, even though Rishabh Pant had not made significant contributions in the later stages of the competition.
Rishabh Pant, who was returning to international cricket after a lengthy injury recovery, played crucial knocks during the group stage matches in the USA. However, as the tournament progressed and moved to the Caribbean islands, he struggled to make a significant impact in the knockout stages. India maintained the same playing XI throughout the Super Six stage and knockout rounds, opting for consistency despite dip in Rishabh Pant’s form.
Reflecting on the situation, Samson expressed that his only regret would be missing the chance to play in a World Cup final under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy.
Sanju Samson said, “Since childhood, I wanted to come here and do something . Then he was like, ‘My pattern is like this’ and all that. I said I totally respect that you came and explained me. I said, ‘I will have a regret; I could not play a World Cup final with a leader like you.’ This will be regret in my heart that I missed a World Cup final with a leader like Rohit Sharma. That will stay in my life.”
The RR skipper added that he was deeply touched by Rohit Sharma’s gesture as he said, “After this, I thought, such a big thing like a World Cup final. Before the final, you have changed your decision. You spent 10 minutes with the player that is not playing just before the toss. He gave me 10 minutes before the toss. After that, I got to know this person has some other qualities.”
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Rohit Sharma is a gem of a person, isn’t he?
