Congress leader Shashi Tharoor expressed pride in Sanju Samson’s match-winning performance in the T20 World Cup. Tharoor recalled meeting a 14-year-old Samson and predicting he would be the “next MS Dhoni,” while also sharing Gautam Gambhir’s view that Samson would be the “one and only Sanju Samson.”
Congress leader and Thirvanathanpuram Shashi Tharoor has been quite a vocal supporter of India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, who played a critical role in the Men in Blue’s T20 World Cup title defence, defeating New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 8.
Samson was one of the instrumental players in Team India’s title-winning campaign, playing crucial knocks in the knockout stages of the tournament, including 97* in a must-win Super 8 match against the West Indies, 89 in the semifinal against England, and 89 in the final against New Zealand, guiding India to a successful title defence on home soil.
Though it’s been over a week since India’s T20 World Cup triumph, Sanju Samson continues to receive praise from fans and experts alike, with many hailing him as a match-winner. Samson delivered in the crucial stages of the tournament and played a key role in the Men in Blue’s title defence.
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Tharoor Recalls 14-Year-Old Sanju Samson
Shashi Tharoor has closely watched Sanju Samson’s journey from being a young aspiring cricketer to one of India’s key match-winners as the Congress MP represents the constituency that he hails from, with Shashi Tharoor proudly backing Sanju Samson throughout his rise from a teenage prodigy to an international star.
Speaking to the Press Trust of India (PTI), Dr. Tharoor recalled spotting Sanju Samson’s talent at the age of 14 and predicting he’d be the next MS Dhoni, expressing pride in his early judgment.
“I feel tremendous pride. I first met him (Samson) when he was 14, a young club cricketer with a big smile and immense talent, already excelling in both wicketkeeping and batting. I had told him, somewhat patronisingly, that he would be the next Dhoni.” The Congress leader said.
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Sanju Samson made it to the Team India in 2015, and since then, he has been in and out of the squad and playing XI before finally cementing his place with consistent performances, overcoming years of inconsistency and limited opportunities to emerge as a reliable match-winner for Team India.
‘One and Only Sanju Samson’
Shashi Tharoor compared Sanju Samson with MS Dhoni, one of India’s wicketkeeper-batters who set the benchmark in Indian cricket, leading the side to the ICC titles – 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, and 2013 Champions Trophy. However, Gambhir, as recalled by Tharoor, dismissed Samson’s comparison with Dhoni.
“Years later, my friend Gautam Gambhir corrected me, saying he does not need to be the next Dhoni; he will be the one and only Sanju Samson — and that is exactly what he has turned out to be. He’s been terrific,” Tharoor recalled.
Back in 2020, way before Gautam Gambhir became Team India’s head coach, he hailed Samson as ‘best wicketkeeper-batsman in India, but the best young batsman in India.’ The tweet, which went viral on social media after Kerala cricketer’s match-winning performances in the knockout stages of the tournament.
Sanju Samson finished the T20 World Cup 2026 as the highest run-getter for Team India, amassing 321 runs, including 3 fifties, at an average of 80.25 and an impressive strike rate of 199.37, and earned the Player of the Tournament for his crucial performances in the knockout stages.
Sanju Samson will return to action for the IPL 2026, where he will represent Chennai Super Kings after being traded from the Rajasthan Royals ahead of the mini-auction last year.
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