Sanju Samson Names MS Dhoni as the Roger Federer of Cricket and Compares Virat Kohli to Carlos Alcaraz Ahead of Wimbledon 2026

As the global sporting calendar turns its attention to the grass courts of the All England Club for another edition of Wimbledon, Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson offered some of the most thoughtful and evocative cross-sport comparisons heard in recent times. Speaking ahead of the prestigious grass-court Grand Slam, Samson drew vivid parallels between cricket's greatest icons and tennis's modern legends, while also reflecting with obvious pride on India's recent World Cup triumphs and the evolving dynamic between India and Australia on the international cricket stage.

The conversation, which Samson shared with JioStar, quickly captured the imagination of cricket and tennis fans alike, offering a rare and refreshing perspective from one of India's most naturally gifted and expressive cricketers.

When asked which cricketer most closely resembled the qualities of Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer, Sanju Samson did not hesitate for even a moment. His answer was immediate, instinctive, and deeply considered all at once. The name he put forward was former India captain MS Dhoni, and the reasoning he offered was as elegant as the two sporting greats he was being asked to connect.

"The Roger Federer of cricket? It has to be MS Dhoni. He is very calm and composed in the way he goes about his business. When he performs, it looks effortless yet very powerful," Samson told JioStar.

The comparison is one that resonates far beyond surface-level aesthetic appreciation. Roger Federer, across more than two decades at the very top of professional tennis, became synonymous with a style of greatness that appeared almost too beautiful to be athletic. His movement on court, his shot selection, his ability to dismantle opponents with a kind of serene authority that made the extraordinarily difficult look routine, set him apart not just as a champion but as a sporting philosopher in motion.

MS Dhoni carried a strikingly similar quality throughout his career in Indian cricket. Whether finishing a tense run-chase with a boundary or stumping a batsman with reflexes that defied his apparently unhurried demeanour, Dhoni operated in a register of calmness that felt almost supernatural under pressure. The helicopter shot, the lightning-quick stumpings, the ice-cold finishing in knockout matches, all of these were delivered with a composure that left opponents and teammates equally astonished.

Samson's comparison, therefore, is not a casual celebrity analogy but a genuinely perceptive observation about two athletes who shared a rare psychological quality: the ability to perform at their absolute peak while appearing to exist in a state of perfect calm. That inner stillness under external pressure is the hallmark of a certain category of sporting genius, and both Federer and Dhoni occupied it fully.

Samson did not stop at the Dhoni-Federer parallel. He extended his cross-sport analysis to draw a compelling comparison between Indian batting icon Virat Kohli and Spanish tennis sensation Carlos Alcaraz, and once again, the logic was sharp and the observation felt earned.

"Carlos Alcaraz, on the other hand, is very explosive, much like how Virat bhai started. Maybe Virat Kohli can be compared to Alcaraz. He is very aggressive and full of power and explosiveness," Samson said.

Carlos Alcaraz has taken the tennis world by storm in recent years, bringing a brand of play that is ferociously physical, emotionally charged, and relentlessly attacking. His baseline aggression, his willingness to go for winners at crucial moments, and his ability to turn defence into offence with breathtaking speed have made him one of the most exciting players the sport has seen in a generation.

Virat Kohli, particularly in the earlier years of his international career, embodied precisely this brand of sporting fury. His batting was built on an almost combative intensity, a hunger to dominate bowlers and situations that was visible in every gesture, every celebration, and every moment of confrontation. The comparison between Kohli's aggressive, power-laden early career approach and Alcaraz's current explosiveness on the tennis court is one of those observations that, once made, feels immediately and obviously right.

Together, the two comparisons Samson offered paint a fascinating portrait of cricket's greatest personalities through the lens of tennis, a sport that, while structurally very different from cricket, shares the same fundamental demand for mental strength, technical precision, and the ability to perform under enormous pressure.

Beyond the tennis analogies, Samson also used the conversation to look back on what has been a landmark period in Indian cricket history. He spoke with genuine warmth and national pride about the remarkable achievement of both the Indian women's and men's cricket teams winning their respective World Cups on home soil, a feat that moved an entire nation and rewrote the country's cricketing legacy.

The Indian women's team made history by lifting their maiden ODI World Cup title, a victory that was celebrated with extraordinary emotion across the country and that set the tone for what followed. The men's team then delivered a T20 World Cup triumph on Indian soil, completing a double that the cricketing world had never seen India achieve in such close succession.

"We were all watching the final. My family members and everyone else were glued to the TV. It was a special moment for all of us in the country. We had been waiting for it for a long time," Samson said.

His words capture something that statistics alone cannot convey. The weight of expectation that Indian cricket fans carry into every World Cup, the decades of near-misses and heartbreaking exits, the way in which the tournament becomes not just a sporting event but a national emotional experience, all of this was present in his reflection.

Samson was named the Player of the Tournament during the men's T20 World Cup campaign, a recognition that underscored just how central his contributions were to India's triumph. Yet his response to that personal honor was characteristically generous and team-focused.

"We knew we were capable of winning the World Cup, yet while we were so close, we were very far. I was very happy for all the players in the team. There was so much hard work behind it and so many great stories within the squad itself. It was a proud moment for all of us."

He also acknowledged the significance of the women's team's success in creating a psychological foundation for the men's team.

"I think the standards were set very high for us. They won the World Cup and put us on a stage where we felt that we could do the same in India. It was a great moment that both World Cups happened in India and that we won them. So, yes, that victory definitely played a part."

This acknowledgment reflects a maturity of sporting perspective that is increasingly visible in the current generation of Indian cricketers. The success of the women's team is no longer treated as a separate or lesser achievement but as an integral part of the nation's cricketing story, one that directly inspired and elevated the men's side.

With the Indian women's team currently competing in the T20 World Cup in England and preparing to face six-time champions Australia, Samson offered a perspective on India's evolving relationship with Australian cricket that was both respectful and quietly assertive.

"A lot of respect goes to the Australian team. I think the reason we hold them in such high regard is that they were the most dominant cricketing nation when we were growing up. Every World Cup seemed to be won by Australia. But now, I think the roles have reversed. We are the champions, and we play and compete with the same attitude. So, yes, there is a lot of respect for them as an opponent."

These words represent something significant. For a generation of Indian cricketers who grew up watching Australia dominate world cricket with a swagger and ruthlessness that seemed almost untouchable, the acknowledgment that India now occupies that position of dominance is a statement of genuine transformation. It is not arrogance but earned confidence, the kind that comes from delivering results on the biggest stages under the most intense pressure.

Australia's record in World Cup cricket across both men's and women's formats remains one of the most formidable in the sport's history. The respect Samson extends toward them is real and substantial. But the assertion that the roles have reversed, that India now carries the champion's mentality into tournaments, reflects the cultural and competitive shift that has taken place in Indian cricket over the past decade.

The conversation also brought in the perspective of former India tennis player Rohan Bopanna, who shared his predictions for Wimbledon 2026 and spoke movingly about what the tournament means to him personally.

On the question of who will lift the men's singles trophy, Bopanna backed defending champion Jannik Sinner, the Italian world number one who has been in commanding form across all surfaces in the past year. For the women's singles, he named Elena Rybakina as his favourite, a pick that reflects the Kazakh player's well-established credentials on grass, having won Wimbledon previously and consistently performed at the highest level on the surface.

"It's such a tough question; the field is so open. But I have to go with defending champion Jannik Sinner for the men's tournament. Among women, I would pick Elena Rybakina," Bopanna said.

Beyond predictions, Bopanna reflected on the deeply personal significance that Wimbledon holds in his career and his memories as a young sports fan growing up in India.

"Wimbledon is a magical dream because I grew up watching only that. Back home, we only used to watch Wimbledon. In fact, television only broadcast Wimbledon. So, for me to go there and not only be present but also play on those courts was absolutely amazing."

He also touched on the extraordinary privilege of having competed in an era that featured Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic simultaneously, a period that many tennis historians regard as the greatest in the sport's modern history.

"I also played in an era when the three greatest tennis players of our generation, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic, were competing. Sharing locker rooms with them and simply being there was better than a dream, actually."

Bopanna's reflections add a layer of emotional depth to the wider conversation, reminding readers that sport at its highest level is not just about trophies and rankings but about the memories, the privilege, and the once-in-a-generation encounters that define a sporting life.