Published: Mar 15, 2026, 11:53 AM (IST)
Edited: Mar 15, 2026, 11:53 AM (IST)
India’s star wicket-keeper opener Sanju Samson opened up about his brilliant opening partnership with Abhishek Sharma, calling it effortless and perfectly balanced. He described their combination as “fire and fire”, with both players taking turns to dominate the bowling.
Samson highlighted the natural friendship between a Keralite and a Punjabi that makes their understanding so easy on the field.
“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, and 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.
Samson also shared a funny story about how the Indian team used to feel a bit jealous of all the cheers Abhishek was getting early on.
“Earlier, the boys used to get jealous because of the cheers for Abhishek. It was Abhishek, Abhishek everywhere. We were like, do people only see him or what? But yes, he is the superstar of the team now. Get married soon, bhai,” he added with a laugh.
Samson and Abhishek tore apart the New Zealand bowlers in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final, putting on 98 runs for the first wicket. Their explosive powerplay gave India a flying start and helped the team post a massive 255 runs.
India went on to beat New Zealand by 96 runs in Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, lifting a record third T20 World Cup title. They became the first team ever to defend the trophy and win it on home soil.
Sanju Samson made a solid comeback in the World Cup after facing inconsistency and being benched earlier. He emerged as India’s leading run-scorer, delivering clutch performances in the knockout stages.
He scored fifties in the virtual quarterfinal against West Indies, the semi-final against England, and the final against New Zealand.
Samson finished with 321 runs in five innings at an average of 80.25 and a blistering strike rate of 199.37, hitting 27 fours and 24 sixes. He ended as the third-highest run-getter in the T20 World Cup.
For all latest updates of T20 World Cup 2026 you can visit: https://www.cricketcountry.com/icc-mens-t20-world-cup-2026/
