Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday heaped praise on Sanju Samson, highlighting the batter’s match-winning impact during India’s triumphant ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign.Addressing Keralam karyakartas, Modi pointed to Samson’s performances under pressure as a lesson in focus and temperament. “Today cricket season is going on, and for the people of Kerala, this is also something to learn. Like we often see in the performance of Sanju Samson, we saw Sanju Samson in the World Cup,” Modi said.Emphasising Samson’s rise in high-stakes moments, he added, “As the crunch situation came in the tournament, the knockout stage came, and his performance suddenly reached its peak. From start to finish, his focus, his confidence and his intensity kept increasing. This is the identity of a true player.”Modi further underlined 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 true 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 nearing 200. His tally included 27 fours and 24 sixes, making him the third-highest run-getter of the competition. He also surpassed Virat Kohli’s 319-run mark from the 2014 edition — the highest by an Indian in a single T20 World Cup.After modest starts, Samson turned the tide with an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies in a virtual knockout, followed by back-to-back 89s against England in the semi-final and New Zealand in the final.India’s emphatic 96-run win over New Zealand sealed a historic title defence, making them the first side to win three T20 World Cups and the first to do so on home soil.
