India, March 2 -- Like Sunil Valson at the 60-over World Cup in 1983, Sanju Samson went through the entire T20 World Cup in 2024 without getting a game. Valson was the only one of the 14 who didn't figure in a single outing during India's victorious campaign under Kapil Dev. Samson at least had company in the form of Yashasvi Jaiswal and Yuzvendra Chahal, who too didn't play in even one match as India used only 12 players on their unbeaten march to the title.

Nearly 20 months on, the 31-year-old from Thiruvananthapuram might have feared an encore when, under Suryakumar Yadav, India set out to replicate their heroics of 2024. A series of events, some in his control, others beyond him, had contrived to relegate him at the proverbial last m...