Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday heaped praise on Sanju Samson and highlighted his impact in winning matches during India’s victorious ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign.Addressing the Keralam karyakartas, Modi pointed to Samson’s performances under pressure as a lesson in focus and temperament. “Today the cricket season continues and for the people of Kerala it is also something to learn. As we often see Sanju Samson in the show, we saw Sanju Samson in the World Cup,” Modi said.
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Sanju Samson starts his T20 World Cup journey and wins the title He highlighted Samson’s rise in high-stakes moments, adding: “As the tournament came to a crunch, the knockout stage came, his performance suddenly peaked. From start to finish, his focus, confidence and intensity kept increasing. That is the identity of a true player.”Modi further highlighted Samson’s ability to deliver when it mattered most. “When the team needed him the most, he showed his best. This is the identity of a real player,” he said.Samson, who was named Player of the Tournament, amassed 321 runs in five innings at a staggering average of 80.25 and a strike rate approaching 200. His tally included 27 fours and 24 sixes, making him the third highest run-getter in the competition. He also surpassed Virat Kohli’s 319 runs from the 2014 edition – the most by an Indian in a single T20 World Cup.
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Is Sanju Samson the future of Indian cricket?
After humble beginnings, Samson turned things around with an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies in a virtual knockout, followed by 89s against England in the semi-finals and New Zealand in the final.India’s emphatic 96-run victory over New Zealand sealed a historic title defense, becoming the first team to win three T20 World Cups and the first to do so on home soil.
