Ricky Ponting Points Out Gautam Gambhir's 'Bold Call' That Turned India's Fortunes In T20 World Cup
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting explained the one decision taken by India that helped them win the T20 World Cup 2026.
India peaked at the right time to clinch the T20 World Cup 2026 title, and their upturn in form coincided with one move - to bring back Sanju Samson at the top of the order. Captain Suryakumar Yadav and head coach Gautam Gambhir brought Samson back in after India's heavy defeat to South Africa in the Super 8, and the opener went on to hammer scores of 97*, 89 and 89 and won the 'Player of the Tournament'. Legendary Australia captain Ricky Ponting had no hesitation in saying that the move was the turning point for India.
"It was actually a big call to make - moving Ishan Kishan down the order to bring Sanju Samson back to the top. That's a major decision, but one that worked out really well in the end," Ponting said, speaking on the ICC Review.
"As a player - and I'm speaking here as a coach and former captain as well - all you really need is the backing of the captain and coaching staff. Sometimes, just a pat on the back or an arm around the shoulder, with someone saying, 'Look mate, we're sticking with you, we believe in you, and we think you're the right man for this role,' is all a player needs to hear," Ponting added.
Samson won the 'Player of the Match' award in both India's decisive Super 8 win over West Indies and semi-final victory over England. He finished the tournament with 321 runs in just five matches, at a strike-rate of nearly 200.
Ponting also stated that the current Indian T20I side is potentially the strongest T20I side in history.
"It's really hard to argue a point against that. If you look at this, not just the T20I team but their white-ball record in ICC events over the last five or six years, it's quite remarkable," Ponting said.
Sanju Samson
India Cricket Team
Gautam Gambhir