Mathrubhumi honours Kerala’s hero: Rs 5 lakh cash prize for Sanju Samson after T20 WC glory
Kochi: In a grand gesture of appreciation for Kerala’s favourite cricketing idol, Mathrubhumi announced a ₹5 lakh cash prize for wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson on Sunday, honouring his record-breaking performance during India’s 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title win.
The Kerala-born star emerged as a centrepiece of India’s aggressive batting strategy throughout the tournament's knockout stages. In Sunday's final against New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Samson struck 89 runs off 46 deliveries. The performance set a new record for the highest individual score by an Indian in a T20 World Cup final, surpassing the previous mark of 77 set by Virat Kohli in 2014.
Samson concluded the tournament with 24 sixes, breaking the record for the most maximums by an Indian in a single T20 World Cup edition.
The award follows a historic run of form for Samson, who became the only Indian to record three consecutive scores of 50 or more in a single T20 World Cup edition. His final three matches of the tournament included:
- Super 8 vs. West Indies: An unbeaten 97 off 50 balls at Eden Gardens.
- Semifinal vs. England: A 42-ball 89 at Wankhede Stadium.
- Final vs. New Zealand: A 46-ball 89 at Narendra Modi Stadium.
The victory marked India's successful defence of their T20 World Cup title, with Samson finishing the campaign with 321 runs at an average of 80.25.