ormer India head coach Rahul Dravid lavished praise on Sanju Samson for his stellar performance in the T20 World Cup 2026. The Kerala wicketkeeper-batter, who couldn’t find a permanent place in the playing XI, made a startling comeback to provide electrifying starts to the team. Three consecutive 80-plus scores in crucial games helped Sanju finish the T20 World Cup as the Player of the Tournament.
Dravid, who was bestowed with the Col. C. K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement Award by the BCCI, said Sanju has reaped the reward for his immense hard work.
“It was really nice to see Sanju be able to get it altogether in those final three games for India. He has been in and out of the team for a long time. He has performed and then lost his spot. But he has worked so hard, and it was really good to see him get it altogether,” Dravid told Star Sports.
The former head coach also praised Suryakumar Yadav and Gautam Gambhir for living up to the expectations in the T20 World Cup 2026,
“Lovely to see the performance of the T20 side. The expectations were immense. They started as favourites. It’s never easy to begin the tournament as a favourite and go on to win the trophy. It comes with its own pressure and challenges. It was really nice to see Surya and Gautam do that,” he said.
Dravid received the award on March 15 – exactly 25 years after winning the historic Kolkata Test against Australia in 2021. Dravid expressed gratitude for having played for the country and contributed even after retirement.
