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Sanju Samson (C) during India's victory lap after winning the T20 World Cup 2026. (AFP)Just before the T20 World Cup 2026 started, a picture of Sanju Samson and Yuvraj Singh took over the internet. While Samson revealed the sessions “very helpful”, it was the two-time World Cup-winning former India all-rounder who revealed what plagued the Kerala batter.
Although the exact timing of the Samson-Yuvraj meeting is not known, but the India wicketkeeper-batter's time with the former cricketer helped him immensely. The result was there for everyone to see in the T20 World Cup 2026 as Samson scored 97 (vs West Indies), 89 (vs England in semifinals) and 89 (vs New Zealand in final), to guide India to the title.
In a recent podcast with Sportstak, Yuvraj revealed a major technical flaw in Samson's batting and the conversation started back in 2024 during India's T20 World Cup win in Barbados. “Sanju had reached that stage where he felt he was not finding a place in the XI,” Yuvraj said.
“The conversation I had with him happened in 2024 when India won that World Cup in Barbados. I had been watching his batting for 2-3 IPL seasons. I told him we would speak whenever he had time,” elaborated Yuvraj. "So my issue with Sanju was, you have to improve your footwork.
"If you don’t improve your footwork, you will consistently land in trouble. Scoring runs or not is different, but you have to improve your footwork. I gave him some ideas on how to improve it," revealed the former cricketer.
Yuvraj observed that the innings that Samson played in the T20 World Cup 2026, the latter's footwork improved drastically. "After that he played, didn’t do well, but then got another opportunity. I felt in the quarter-final, semi-final and final, the more balls he faced, his footwork kept getting better.
“The more time he spent on the wicket, his footwork improved. So I felt obviously he must have done something in his practice,” he recalled.
About the Author
Koushik Paul
Koushik lives and breathes sports. After transitioning from his own aspirations of becoming a professional athlete, he successfully channeled that lifelong passion into a prolific career, documenting the action both from the sidelines and the editorial desk. With over eight years of industry experience, Koushik joined LiveMint as a Deputy Chief Content Producer in 2024, following impactful stints at Outlook India, India.com, Sportskeeda, Women’s CricZone, and OrissaPOST. A 2017 Journalism and Mass Communication graduate from Maharaja Manindra Chandra College, Kolkata, Koushik has reported on high-profile events including the FIFA U17 World Cup 2017, Ranji Trophy, FIH Pro League, FIH World League finals, the Indian Premier League, and Lionel Messi’s historic visit to Kolkata in 2025. <br><br> While he possesses a versatile command over all sports, he finds his niche in cricket, specializing in breaking news, long-form interviews, global sporting updates, and high-energy live blogs. Koushik’s professional perspective was further sharpened through the 2020 AIPS Young Reporters Programme, where he gained invaluable insights from renowned international journalists, including Keir Radnedge and Riccardo Romani from the United Kingdom, and Martin Mazur from Argentina. Currently based between Kolkata and Delhi, Koushik remains at the forefront of the breaking developments that shape the public sporting discourse. When he isn't tracking scores or deconstructing plays, he can be found exploring new landscapes on his travels or channeling his creative energy into the kitchen. <br><br> If you have a compelling story to share or know an individual who deserves the spotlight, please reach out via email at <a href="koushik.paul@htdigital.in">koushik.paul@htdigital.in</a>.
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