Sanju Samson is no longer inconsistent! In fact, he’s become the definition of consistency in the T20 World Cup 2026. He was benched for the initial stages, but ever since he’s been reintroduced, Samson has topped record after record.
The wicketkeeper preserved his best for last. In the India vs New Zealand final, Samson registered the highest-ever individual score in a T20 World Cup final. Off the back of two memorable innings, 97* against the West Indies and 89 against England, Samson was feeling it.
Highest individual score in a T20 World Cup final
- 89 – Sanju Samson (IND) vs NZ, 2026
- 85* – Marlon Samuels (WI) vs ENG, 2016
- 85 – Kane Williamson (NZ) vs AUS, 2021
- 78 – Marlon Samuels (WI) vs SL, 2012
- 77* – Mitchell Marsh (AUS) vs NZ, 2021
After starting with caution against Mark Henry, Samson teed off. Abhishek Sharma hogged the limelight, smashing an 18-ball half-century, but Samson knew his role was to solidify as his partner went berserk. That’s why his own half-century came from 33 balls.
Mitchell Santner was causing a bit of trouble for him. But after reaching his fifty, Samson opened up. In the next 13 balls, he scored 39 runs. In the 12th over, Samson smashed 3 boundaries off Lockie Ferguson. He ended Rachin Ravindra’s 2nd over (14th) with 3 sixes and all of a sudden was 88 (44).
He’s made up for a slightly slow start, especially by his standard. Now, he had another chance to score his maiden T20 World Cup hundred. But Samson didn’t care about it. He went after James Neesham and holed out in the process. But the job was done. He’d become just the third player, after Virat Kohli and Shahid Afridi, to register a score of fifty or above in the semifinal and final of a T20 World Cup.
50s in semifinal & final of a T20 World Cup
- Shahid Afridi in 2009
- Virat Kohli in 2014
- Sanju Samson in 2026
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