Star India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson was on Tuesday declared the Player of the Month for March, after his hat-trick of knocks in the T20 World Cup helped India defend their title, becoming the first
team in the history of the tournament to do so.
Samson finished as the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament, scoring 321 runs in five matches at a stunning average of 80.25.
Samson scored an unbeaten 97 in a must-win match against the West Indies and followed it up with two 89-run knocks, one in the semifinal against England and one in the final against New Zealand.
“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,” Samson was quoted as saying by ICC.
“This is an exciting era for Indian cricket, with immense talent across the board. I feel grateful for the opportunities I have received and for the trust and support from my teammates and coaching staff that have allowed me to perform at my best,” Samson said.
His victory marks the fifth straight month in which a different nation’s cricketer has claimed the honour. The sequence includes Simon Harmer, Mitchell Starc, Daryl Mitchell and Sahibzada Farhan.
Not a regular in the playing XI in the early stages of the tournament, Samson was drafted into India’s must-win Super 8 games. After scoring 24 against Zimbabwe on February 26, Samson found his rhythm and carried that form forward without looking back.
Samson fell just three runs short of a hundred against the West Indies on Sunday, March 1, but his unbeaten 97 helped power India into the semi-finals.
A blistering 89 against England at the Wankhede helped India post 253/7, with the English team falling short by seven runs on March 5.
