Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan meets Sanju Samson after India's T20 WC 2026 win
Thiruvananthapuram, March 17
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hosted Indian cricketer Sanju Samson at his official residence, Cliff House, in Thiruvananthapuram. The Kerala CM heaped praise on Samson for his hefty contributions to India's T20 World Cup 2026-winning campaign.
In a post on X, Pinarayi Vijayan expressed his delight in hosting Sanju Samson, praised him as a source of pride for India and Kerala and also wished him continued success in the future.
"Had the pleasure of hosting India's pride and Kerala's own, Sanju Samson, at Cliff House yesterday. Conveyed the profound love and joy of the people of Kerala. May he draw strength from his recent achievements and continue to scale new heights. Wishing him the very best," he said in the social media post.
Sanju Samson was key to India's victorious finish at the World Cup and was named the Player of the Tournament. Samson amassed 321 runs in five innings in the tournament at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37, hitting 27 fours and 24 sixes and ended as the third-highest run-getter in the T20 WC. He also surpassed Virat Kohli's total of 319 runs in the 2014 T20 World Cup edition to have the most runs by an Indian during a single T20 World Cup edition.
While Samson could not make big scores in his first two matches of the World Cup, the right-hand batter kicked off his scoring spree with an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies in the final Super Eight clash, and a virtual knockout. He then piled on 89 against England in the semi-final and another 89 in the final against New Zealand.
Coming to the T20 World Cup 2026, India beat New Zealand by 96 runs on March 8 to successfully defend their T20 World Cup title. The victory made India the first team to win the T20 World Cup on home soil, the first to win consecutive titles after their 2024 win, and the first to lift the trophy three times (2007, 2024, and 2026).
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great to see our CM honoring a local hero. Sanju has made Kerala so proud. His innings in the semi-final and final were clutch! Hope he continues this form.
As a cricket fan, I have to say Samson's performance was incredible. That strike rate of nearly 200 in a World Cup is insane. Well deserved meeting.
While it's good to celebrate our champions, I wish our politicians would show this much enthusiasm for solving everyday issues like infrastructure and jobs. Just saying.
Yay! Sanjuetta! 🥳 He played with so much heart. Surpassing Kohli's record is no small feat. The entire nation is celebrating him. More power to you!
What an achievement for Team India! Three-time champions and back-to-back wins. Samson was the standout performer. Great to see the state honoring its sporting stars.
As a Malayali, my chest swells with pride! From Trivandrum to the world stage. His consistency in the knockouts was amazing. Wishing him many more trophies.
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