Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], March 9 (ANI): Star wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson on Monday reflected on the journey that led to India's ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 triumph, crediting the challenges and setbacks in his career for building the resilience that helped him succeed on the global stage.

Speaking to reporters in his home state after India's historic title defence on Sunday against New Zealand on Sunday, Samson described winning the World Cup as a dream realised.

'It was like a dream... I was courageous enough to have this dream... I want to win it for my country. I want to contribute in such a way that it becomes what it is now. I am very happy and feeling very blessed... I am trained to look at situations in a positive manner from my childhood days. I generally feel that all the pain, all the setbacks have made me much stronger, and that is the only reason why I could do what I did,' Samson said.

Highlighting how challenges can be turned into personal strength, Samson added, 'I feel that all the pain, setbacks, and disappointments in life and in my career, if used positively, can be a great strength in your life. That's what happened, and I'm very grateful.'

'This is a very happy occasion,' Samson's father, Samson Vishwanath, also told ANI.

'Our Sanju has done something for our country... He always comes home after the game... People prayed for Sanju... Everyone is happy... We had scored 250 in the semi-final. England tried to chase it to the full extent.'

Sanju Samson's 89 off 46 balls helped India post a mammoth 254 in the first innings. He was the top scorer by anyone in the match. Notably, it was his third successive fifty and a match-defining innings from Samson's bat. He also scored an unbeaten 97 in a do-or-die Super 8s clash against West Indies and then scored 89 against England in the semifinals.

India, led by Suryakumar Yadav, defeated the Mitchell Santner-led New Zealand by a huge 96-run margin to defend their T20 World Cup title. With the win, India became the first team to win the T20 World Cup at home, the first team to win it back-to-back after securing the 2024 edition as well and also became the first team to win it three times (2007, 2024, 2026).

What makes Samson's success even more remarkable is that his place in the playing 11 was being questioned by fans and cricket experts following a string of low scores in the World Cup before the West Indies innings. (ANI)