The long-awaited announcement has finally arrived. The International Cricket Council (ICC), led by Jay Shah, named Team India opener Sanju Samson as the Player of the Month for March for his heroics in the T20 World Cup 2026 tournament.

On April 14, through an official statement, ICC informed that the opener received the prestigious award. Sanju Samson continued to dominate his form from the Super 8 phase of the tournament.

ICC rewarded Sanju Samson’s efforts, which he showed in the 2026 T20 World Cup

Coming out of a slump, the right-handed batsman posted 97*, 89 and 89 runs against the West Indies, England and New Zealand. In the final of the tournament, Samson’s second knock of 89 runs came against the Kiwis.

“Winning the ICC Player of the Month award is an incredible feeling, especially as it comes during what has been the most unforgettable phase of my cricket journey. Being involved in India’s triumph in the Men’s T20 World Cup was truly a dream come true, and it took some time to fully absorb the magnitude of that moment,” Sanju Samson described the significance of the award he received for his unique effort.

“This is an exciting era for Indian cricket, with immense talent across the board. I am grateful for the opportunities I have received and for the trust and support of my teammates and coaching staff that have allowed me to perform at my best,” he added.

Pace, headed by Jasprit Bumrah, was also in contention for the award.

Along with Samson, Jasprit Bumrah was also in the running to claim the special prize. But in the end it is Sanju Samson who takes the award without generating any further debates or doubts.

It is worth remembering that the team management excluded Sanju Samson from the playing team due to his poor form before the tournament. Before the ICC’s flagship tournament, when India faced the New Zealand cricket team in a white-ball series, Samson was a regular opener for the team in the T20I series. In the entire bilateral match against the Blackcaps, Samson proved to be a big failure, which is why he was dropped from the playing eleven in the initial stage of the T20 World Cup 2026.

Samson proved his worth in the 2026 T20 World Cup

For the opening positions, India relied on Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan. As the tournament began, Abhishek Sharma suffered a rare setback and scored three ducks in a row. Later, the think tank was forced to include Sanju Samson again in the playing XI as an opener and shuffled the batting order.

Samson and Sharma formed the opening pair, with Ishan Kishan at No. 3. Samson missed out on a century against the West Indies by just three runs on March 1, and then a blistering 89 against England at Wankhede, followed by another innings of 89 runs in the final against New Zealand.

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