Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], March 7 (ANI): India captain Suryakumar Yadav praised the inclusion of Sanju Samson in the playing XI, saying it was a crucial decision that changed the course of games for the team.Speaking at a pre-match press conference ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 final against New Zealand, Suryakumar highlighted the importance of Samson’s contributions.”According to me, it was important to bring Sanju’s inclusion because we saw that the combinations that we were playing in the last bilateral series, like Abhishek, Sanju and Ishan were batting in the top 3, so how much did we benefit from that? So, as soon as we brought him, the direction of the game changed completely,” Suryakumar said.Samson has been in ominous form in the ongoing T20 World Cup. In four matches, the Indian opener has smashed 232 runs at an average of 77.33 and an astounding strike rate of 201.73.The right-handed batter earned consecutive Player of the Match awards in India’s last two games, the semifinal and their last Super 8s match.Samson hammered an unbeaten 97* off 50 balls in a vital Super 8s win over West Indies, followed by a rapid 89 from 42 balls in the knockout semi-final, once again leading India’s charge.The Indian captain further added that Samson’s work ethic and dedication while being out of the playing XI were noteworthy.”So, I think that was a positive call for him. And I saw that he was coming with so much effort. When someone does not play, what they are doing is more important. The one who was not playing was doing everything that he could do for the team when he would play. So, according to me, the last 3-4 innings that he has batted for the team, he is getting the result of what he was doing,” Suryakumar added.Responding to questions about the kind of total India would aim for after scoring 250 plus in the second semi-final against India, the Indian captain said, “We’ll try to bat well. If we can make 200, 225, 250 runs, that’s a good thing. That’s good for our team. But we don’t come from the room thinking that we have to make so many runs. Because if the wicket demands something else, then we have to play differently. So we’ll play in the way that the wicket demands. And we’ll defend the total we get.”Team India is aiming to defend its title at home and become the first side ever to win a T20 World Cup in front of the home crowd.Squads:New Zealand Squad: Tim Seifert(wicketkeeper), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner(captain), Cole McConchie, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson, Devon Conway, Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy.India Squad: Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(wicketkeeper), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(captain), Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Rinku Singh, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav. (ANI)(This content is sourced from a syndicated feed and is published as received. The Tribune assumes no responsibility or liability for its accuracy, completeness, or content.)