Why has Sanju Samson’s cricket triumph touched the hearts of millions and millions of Indian cricket lovers; from an understated cricketer to India’s T20 World Cup ‘26 HERO. The ‘Darling’ of Kerala Cricket fans, affectionately referred to as ‘Chetta’ (elder brother) by his throngs of supporters.

It’s because nothing has come easy for Samson. He has spent a lifetime preparing for this moment and during his decade long innings he has shown occasionally what he was capable of without being able to get the kind of success he deserved.

He made his IPL debut with Rajasthan Royals at the age of 18 and immediately caught the attention of experts and fans. He donned the Indian colours in 2015 and in his first 23 innings at the top order of the T20 team he scored only 1 fifty. IPL success did not guarantee international runs- so, the quiet and resilient wicket keeper-batter continued to toil in domestic tournaments in front of empty stadiums. Sanju Samson has often spoken about his acute desire to wear the Team India cap and win big trophies for his country; but to make the journey even tougher, along the way with ‘Road Closed’ signs stood the likes of Thala Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Rishabh Pant and KL Rahul.

There is an emotional video where he speaks about the inspirational leader and big brother Rohit Sharma’s empathy and support for him. That heartfelt 10-minute talk before the 2024 T20 WC final where the captain acknowledged his contributions and personally explained the tough selection calls on why he was left out- this talk meant a lot to him: ‘Tera bhi time aayega’ (your time will come).

So, to the T20 WC earlier this year. Samson was on the bench in the opening matches. Then he dominated the Super 8’s and beyond- 97 not out against the Windies, a match defining 89 in a close win against England and finishing it off with another 89 vs NZ in the finals. 321 runs at an average of 80.25 with a staggering strike rate of 199.37. The undisputed Player of the Tournament and the Toast of an entire nation.

What happened? Sanju Samson finally found himself in a dressing room where the philosophy and vibes matched his own. The high risk-high reward batting where contributions were measured by impact and not individual milestones. So was born our national hero-who strove always for high impact and this time around carried the blessings of consistency.

Sanju Samson, a devout Catholic, has praised Jesus and made signs of the cross on the cricket field and has drawn inspiration from the Bible verse Philippian 4:13- ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’

Another great source of strength has been his father Samson Vishwanath, a former Delhi Police Constable and a retired football player who represented Delhi in the Santosh Trophy. He played a pivotal role by leaving his police job and returning to Kerala when his son was rejected for the Delhi U-13 team. An intensely invested father- his focus was entirely in training Sanju and protecting him from setbacks in his early career. He insisted that his son closely watch icons like Tendulkar and Dravid on TV to develop a strong technique. Mentors matter whether it is on the sports field or off. Here the youngster was blessed- Dravid as his captain and coach at Rajasthan Royals, Rohit Sharma and his personal idol- MS Dhoni. Sanju Samson has spoken about his motivational call with Sachin Tendulkar during the T20 WC itself when he was feeling low and down.

Coming to Ishan Kishan, he played a key role in the T20 WC ‘26. 317 runs in 9 matches with an astounding SR (strike rate) of 193.29. His 77 against Pakistan and a 25-ball 54 in the finals were critical contributions. This was preceded by a stellar domestic season where he led Jharkhand to the T20 title in the Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament.

His has been a roller-coaster ride with controversy in the air. It will be fair to say that he is now astride the Redemption Arc. His talent was never in doubt as showcased by the 210 run rampage against Bangladesh in 2022 or the 103 off just 43 balls against New Zealand on the 31 Jan 2026- a week before the WC began.

His problems started in late 2023 when he pulled out of the on-going South Africa tour citing mental fatigue. He was later seen partying in Dubai and Mumbai. In early 2024 he was dropped from the BCCI Central Contract as he ignored the directives to play Ranji Trophy matches during his break from international cricket. Strong parental support brought him back on track. His father Pranav Pandey and Ishan himself have credited how reading the Bhagavad Gita helped him overcome his career turmoil and negative public scrutiny. His mother insisted that he carry a pocket edition of the scripture in his kit bag and he has often returned to the teachings in times of stress and anxiety.

An older generation is aware of how Indian cricket lost one of its finest talents in the early 90’s- Vinod Kambli to booze and partying with the wrong crowd. A recent example of things going wrong is Prithvi Shaw, hailed as a break-out star in 2018. In July 2019, his contract was suspended by the BCCI for doping violations. Then he totally lost it- a physical altercation with a social media influencer and her friends went viral on social media. Sad to say that as recently as December 2025 whilst representing Maharashtra he had an ugly fight with his former Mumbai teammates and was physically stopped from hitting one of them with a cricket bat. Prithvi Shaw is just 26 years old. Life has given him another chance. Delhi Capitals have recruited him for IPL 2026 for a price of Rs 75 lakhs. The moral of the story- the glamour, money and fame at top levels in Indian cricket and especially the IPL can easily lead youngsters astray.

The other fascinating takeaway from the success of Samson and Kishan is that Indian batters have taken T20 cricket to another level. Their strike rates almost touch 200. If Gill, KL Rahul or Ruturaj Gaekwad ( SR 138-143) aspire to get back into the format they will have to revamp their shots-gear box and move into a higher-level top gear.

Lastly enter Jasprit Bumrah. Picked up by the MI scouts and drafted for the team in IPL 2013. In the T20 WC ’26, he was the joint highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets and the Player of the Match in the finals with 4/15 vs NZ. He is a rare combination of pace (140+ kmph), lethal accuracy and unorthodox action which makes him difficult to read plus an exceptional death-overs bowler. Sadly, the unorthodox action has resulted in multiple injuries and surgeries with even a down-time of a year. Yet, James Anderson has called him ‘an absolute freak’ for his ability to nail lethal yorkers consistently. Damien Fleming is awed by ‘his curve ball slower delivery.’ Ricky Ponting calls him India’s greatest ever fast bowler-across formats- and that ‘his true value lies in making scoring runs very difficult for batters.’ Harsha Bhogle refers to him as ‘The Magician’ whilst accolades like ‘National Treasure’ and ‘Once in a Generation Player’ are floating all around. To add another dimension, Bumrah is also applauded for ‘his tactical genius in analysing pitch quality.’ Lest people forget, he was the Player of the Tournament in the 2024 T20 WC with15 wickets. In ICC ODI rankings he has held the top bowler slot for 730 days. In Test cricket he remains the No.1, with 234 wickets in 52 matches with a remarkable average of 19.79. Please check some fellow legendary bowlers – Marshall (20.94), McGrath (21.64), Akram (23.62), Murali (22.72) and Warne (25.41). Bumrah has played a seminal role in the Men in Blue’s big wins in SENA nations (South Africa-England-New Zealand- Australia).

Jasprit Bumrah lost his father at a very early age and has been brought up by his mother Daljit Kaur- a schoolteacher and Principal- in Ahmedabad. He attributes his success, focus, hard-work, discipline, passion and humility to his Ma’ji. He also embraces devout Sikh values and sacred teachings and has been quietly supporting many charitable causes -especially sponsoring education for under-privileged children.

Harsha Bhogle has revealed that before the IPL 2026 season, MI proposed to give the same pay cheques to Surya Yadav, Pandya, Rohit Sharma and Bumrah. Rohit bhai stepped forward for a pay-cut as Bumrah with his humungous contributions deserved more. Thus, for the first time has ‘Boom Boom’ earned the highest price-tag at his franchisee.

In Australia, Warne & McGrath are put on the same pedestal as Ponting. In July 2024, James Anderson was given a rousing, emotional farewell by a packed house at Lords. Murali and Wasim Akram are still revered by fans in their countries and far beyond. However, in India batters continue to dominate the headlines and public or fan consciousness. From the ‘Little Master’ Gavaskar to ‘The God of Cricket’ Tendulkar to ‘King Kohli’. RESPECT TO ALL.  Taking his match-winning performances and his drive to take India to the top of the cricketing world, Bumrah over the last couple of years has finally become the brand face of an eco-friendly travel gear brand-Uppercase, Skecher shoes, UNIQLO India clothing and for Sun Feast Yippee noodles.

Times are changing. From the Dravid- Rohit Sharma duo to the Sky-Gambhir Management, team effort is being highlighted, and top-class bowlers are finding their place under the bright Indian sun.

The stories of our three-impactful cricketers of the 2026 T20 WC have parallels and differences. But at the core, what they have each scripted are positive stories of grit and determination, faith and support, and self-belief. They represent real, inspiring life lessons.