Sanju Samson beats Jasprit Bumrah to bag colossal ICC award amid IPL 2026

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

On April 14, through an official announcement, ICC informed that the opener has received the prestigious award. Sanju Samson continued his dominating form from the Super 8 stage of the tournament.

ICC awarded the effort of Sanju Samson, which he demonstrated in the T20 World Cup 2026

Coming out of a bad patch, the right-handed batter registered 97*, 89, and 89 runs against the West Indies, England, and New Zealand. In the final of the tournament, Samson’s second 89-run knock 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 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 described the importance of the award which he has received because of his sole effort.

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

Pace spearheaded Jasprit Bumrah was also in the award contention

Along with Samson, Jasprit Bumrah was also in contention to claim the special award. But in the end, it is Sanju Samson who grabbed the award without sparking any further debate or doubts.

It is worth remembering that the team management dropped Sanju Samson from the playing combination because of his off-form ahead of the tournament. Before the ICC’s flagship tournament, when India was engaged with the New Zealand cricket team in a white-ball series, Samson was a regular opener of the team in the T20I series. In the entire bilateral contest against the Blackcaps, Samson proved extremely flopped, for which he was dropped from the playing XI in the initial stage of the T20 World Cup 2026.

Samson proved his mettle in the T20 World Cup 2026

For the opening positions, India trusted Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan. When the tournament started, Abhishek Sharma sustained a rare setback, recording 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, and Ishan Kishan at number 3. Samson missed out on a century against the West Indies by just three runs on 1 March, and then a blistering 89 against England at the Wankhede, followed by another 89-run innings in the final against New Zealand.

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