T20 World Cup 2026: Kerala Government to honour Sanju Samson with civic reception

The Kerala state government will honour Sanju Samson with a civic reception for his role in India’s 2026 T20 World Cup victory.

Kerala General Education Minister V. Sivankutty has communicated to the media that they have conveyed this to the cricketer and are waiting on his response for the same.

Samson came into the T20 World Cup in a patch of poor form, losing his place to the returning Ishan Kishan. With Rinku Singh’s departure owing to his father’s demise, Samson found himself back in the team and grabbed his chance with open arms. Match-winning knocks in the final game of the Super 8s, semifinal and final saw the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter clinch the Player of the Tournament award.

Samson finished the tournament with 321 runs from five matches, going past Virat Kohli’s tally of 319 from the 2014 edition as the most runs scored by an Indian batter in a single edition. His runs came at an imposing average of 80.25 and a blistering strike rate of 199.37. His 97 off 50 balls in the last game of the Super 8s against West Indies held India’s chase together while his scores of 89 each against England and New Zealand in the semifinal and final were the backbone of India achieving mammoth totals in both games.

Speaking of Sanju’s achievement, Kerala chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a post on X (formerly Twitter) congratulating the Indian team called Samson an inspiration.

A historic triumph for the Men in Blue!

​India’s spectacular victory in the T20 World Cup final is a moment of immense pride for the entire nation. A phenomenal campaign defined by grit, passion, and teamwork has brought the championship home once again.

​Special… pic.twitter.com/sivK3hTJud

— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) March 8, 2026

“Mr. Samson has proved that talent and hard work can propel people to heights, and no goal is beyond them,” he said.