Sanju Samson Receives Grand Honour From Jay Shah's ICC

Sanju Samson with Gautam Gambhir after India's T20 WC 2026 triumph. PC - AFP

Sanju Samson has been the talk of the town since winning the Player of the Tournament award in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. However, the wicketkeeper witnessed a slump in his first four matches for CSK, but he overcame it with a fantastic century vs Delhi Capitals last Saturday. 

As CSK lost three in a row, the Trivandrum-born was dismissed in single digits. As a result, Samson's move from the Rajasthan Royals to CSK was heavily criticised after his three failures. 

However, he answered his critics with a top ton vs DC, which helped the five-time champions win their first game of the IPL. As Samson smacked his fourth IPL ton, he equalled Shubman Gill, Shane Watson and David Warner’s tally for the joint third most centuries in the league. 

Sanju Samson bags Player of the Month award

On Wednesday, the Jay Shah-led International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed the winners for the Men’s Player of the Month honour for March 2026, with India's T20 World Cup hero Sanju Samson winning it. 

The 32-year-old has defeated India's Jasprit Bumrah and the South African wicketkeeper-batter Connor Esterhuizen to bag the prestigious ICC award. 

Sanju Samson played three unbelievable knocks - 97 not out vs WI & two 89s in the semifinal and final- in the month of March to win the Men’s Player of the Month honour. 

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“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 cricketing journey. Playing a part in India’s triumph at the Men’s T20 World Cup was truly a dream realised, and it took some time for the magnitude of that moment to fully sink in,” Sanju Samson stated after winning the ICC award. 

Amelia Kerr wins Player of Month in Women's category

Notably, New Zealand’s newly appointed captain, Amelia Kerr, has won the ICC Women’s Player of the Month for March, beating Beth Mooney (Australia) and Ayabonga Khaka (South Africa). 

"It’s been a special month for the White Ferns. It’s always nice to be able to contribute to wins for your country, but seeing the way the whole team has played, the selflessness and the belief is what has been the highlight for me this past month,” Amelia Kerr told ICC. 

The White Ferns skipper smacked 176 runs in four WODIs and 276 runs in five innings during the month of March. 

Kerr and the New Zealand team will be next seen during the white-ball tour of England in May in the build-up to the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026. 

Why is Sanju Samson's form important for CSK?

After losing three on a trot, CSK bagged its maiden victory last week. As skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad is woefully out of form, the onus now grows heavier on Sanju Samson’s shoulders. The Kerala batter is one of the most exciting batters in the current CSK line-up, with truckloads of experience in the league. 

Samson has scored 4841 runs at a strike rate of 139.99 in the IPL. Out of these runs, 53.19% runs have come in winning causes, which makes the opener a vital cog in their wheel. Interestingly, his strike rate grows to 144.82 in wins. 

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