The partnership with Abhishek Sharma is not a story of ice and fire, but a story of fire and fire, joked India opener Sanju Samson at the India Today Conclave 2026. Speaking to Vikrant Gupta and Nikhil Naz, Samson revealed his chemistry with Abhishek on the field, one that proved pivotal in the final of the T20 World Cup 2026 against New Zealand.
Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson added 98 runs for the opening partnership in the summit clash of the tournament, giving India a rolicking start in the powerplay. The rest of the Indian team doubled down on the tremendous start, hitting 255 runs in the final.
Samson said that he had enjoyed batting with Abhishek since 2024 and knew what they were capable of doing. In the interview, Samson said that he and Abhishek share a good friendship on and off the field, which keeps things very simple between them during matches.
“We are not ice and fire, we are fire and fire. Sometimes he fires, sometimes I do. We have that kind of combination going. We have done this since 2024, we have a Kerala-Punjabi friendship in the middle. Everything comes pretty naturally to us, so we do not complicate it. He asks me, ‘How is the ball coming?’ I tell him that the ball is coming normally, hit it for a six. It is really simple with him. Abhishek is very brave and collected, I love his character. I really love the partnership with him on and off the field,” Sanju Samson said at the India Today Conclave.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma had incredible comeback stories in the T20 World Cup 2026. Samson dropped out of form right before the tournament, resulting in him getting benched from the first XI. Abhishek, on the other hand, fell ill during the first couple of games and never really recovered from there.
