AHMEDABAD: There have been subtle changes for the better in Sanju Samson’s game. The T20 World Cup’s player of the tournament now has a remarkable steadiness when he plays his shots or is charging the bowler. The fidgety, twitchy version of Samson we saw earlier is gone.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The changes can be attributed to the lean run prior to the World Cup in the T20I series against New Zealand, which led to his omission from the squad and prompted serious introspection.With opposition teams targeting India with off-spin early in the Powerplay to neutralise left-hander Abhishek Sharma’s power hitting, and with Rinku Singh being under-utilised down the order, India rejigged their lineup and brought in Sanju.

Suddenly, the pieces seemed to fit and India had the perfect batting order for the occasion. Samson smashed three crucial, consecutive half-centuries, was India’s leading scorer with 321 runs from five innings and has probably hit upon the kind of consistency which eluded him for long periods of his career.Now, Samson is also the leading Indian run-scorer in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.ALSO READ: Team India Report Card: Perfect finish to a not-so-perfect T20 World Cup campaign“As soon as we brought him (back), the game changed completely (for us),” captain Suryakumar Yadav said.“He started batting differently. That was a positive call for him. I saw him working very hard. When someone doesn’t play, what he does (outside the playing field) is more important. He did everything he could for the team when he was not playing. The last three to four innings he has batted for the team, it is a result of all the hard work he has put in,” said Surya, highlighting the hard yards in the nets by the opener.One of Samson’s earliest coaches, Biju George, told TOI, “Every batsman over a long tournament brings in minute adjustments. He just kept faith in his ability and backed himself. He kept hitting straight and strong.”Sanju’s batting now has the distinct clarity it lacked earlier. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said Samson had changed his approach from the bilateral series earlier.“Unfortunate for us, he was saving his runs for the World Cup. In a few of those games, he looked like he was trying to hit from ball one. Now, he gave himself a chance, gave himself a few balls. On these wickets, when you’re in, you can really cash in,” Santner said.

At 35, Suryakumar Yadav has experienced the thrill of becoming a World Cup-winning captain. On Sunday, when India created history by becoming the first team to defend the T20 World Cup crown, not many may have realised that Surya also became the second-oldest captain to win the tournament, behind his former India teammate and skipper Rohit Sharma. Surya was already 30 when he made his India debut. In Indian cricket, not many manage to build a long career from that stage, but Suryakumar, who has always believed in “getting the right things at the right time”, is now reaping the rewards. With this triumph, Surya has ticked another huge box. As if becoming India’s longest-serving No. 1-ranked T20I batter wasn’t enough, and as if scoring T20I centuries in England, South Africa, New Zealand and against Sri Lanka wasn’t enough, Suryakumar Yadav is now a T20 World Cup-winning captain. Fittingly, the triumph came at the same venue where he faced criticism after struggling against Australia in the 2023 World Cup final. From enduring that disappointment to last night’s historic achievement, the journey feels both fitting and richly deserved.

Also Read: How once bad-tempered Suryakumar Yadav became T20 World Cup-winning captain in a surreal transformation

That being said, it brings us to an interesting stage in Suryakumar Yadav’s career. In his mid-30s, his India career likely has more days behind him than ahead. During the post-match press conference, he may have revealed his next goal – to win an Olympic gold medal at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, but here’s the catch: he would be 37 by the time the Games come around. With youngsters knocking on the door and an eye already on the 2028 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in Australia, Surya could have a mountain to climb in the squad. For now, he remains the captain and is likely to hold that role at least for the remainder of the year, if not longer. But just as the BCCI has begun planning succession in ODIs, the transition in T20Is may not be too far away. The selectors are likely already keeping an eye on their next captain.

Who that might be is anyone’s guess. Last year, the obvious choice was Shubman Gill, but after a string of failures, India’s ODI and Test captain was shown the door. Gill is still only 26, and with the team management having moved past Hardik Pandya long ago due to workload management concerns, the possibility of Gill earning a recall, considering the bigger picture, cannot be ruled out. Indian cricket has never been a firm believer in the split captaincy theory. Hence, with Gill already leading two formats, it could only be a matter of time before he takes over entirely.

The immediate next step is the IPL 2026, where Surya will turn up for the Mumbai Indians and have at least 14 matches to rediscover his groove. Going through the entire 2025 without a single fifty was a tough pill to swallow, and although he struck four fifties in five matches in and around the T20 World Cup, the last few games have again been a bit of a struggle by his lofty standards. Surya is far from his free-flowing best, and he would know it. The IPL, after all, is what made him; the tournament that first brought him to the selectors’ notice. Last season, he bludgeoned 717 runs, and if he can replicate even 70 per cent of that, Surya should be in good stead.

India’s next T20Is are in June – five of them in England – before three each against Bangladesh and Afghanistan, provided the series goes ahead. In September-October, India are scheduled to play 10 more T20Is: five against West Indies and five against New Zealand. Rest assured, Suryakumar Yadav is unlikely to feature at the Asian Games, just as he didn’t in 2023. Three more T20Is in December will cap off the year. In between these 24 T20Is, Suryakumar Yadav’s fate could very well be decided.

Preity Zinta at the stadium during the T20 World Cup final. (Video grabs)

NEW DELHI: India’s historic triumph in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final sparked a wave of celebration across the country, and Bollywood stars were among the loudest cheerleaders. Actor Preity Zinta, who watched the match live from the stands, shared her excitement on social media after India’s dominant victory over New Zealand in Ahmedabad.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!The actor was present at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday and later posted pictures and videos capturing the electrifying atmosphere during the final. Her Instagram update featured glimpses of her cheering enthusiastically along with friends, including singer Iulia Vantur, as India marched towards a memorable win.

Reflecting on the experience, Zinta wrote that watching a World Cup final live is always special, especially when the home side lifts the trophy. “It’s always special to see a World Cup final live in the stadium & be on the winning side. What a game, what a team & what a feeling seeing #TeamIndia win their 3rd ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title. Of course none of us could keep calm,” she posted, celebrating the emphatic victory.Zinta arrived at the stadium in a simple white T-shirt paired with blue jeans before proudly switching into the Indian jersey during the match, fully embracing the celebratory mood inside the packed arena. The celebrations extended beyond the stadium as Bollywood’s biggest names flooded social media with congratulatory messages. Among them was superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who hailed the Indian side for their commanding performance.“What a comprehensive victory!! Well done to our men in blue!!! You guys are champions and watching you on the field has made us all very proud. Take a bow. Jai Hind!” he wrote on X, echoing the sentiment of millions of fans across the country.Several other celebrities—including Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Karan Johar, Anushka Sharma, Sunny Deol and Anil Kapoor—also joined the online celebrations.On the field, India produced a commanding display with the bat as Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan led the charge with the top order. Their collective effort powered India to a huge total before the bowlers completed a comprehensive 96-run win over New Zealand.With the victory, India scripted history by becoming the first nation to successfully defend the T20 World Cup title.