Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], March 16 (ANI): Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar honoured Indian cricketer Sanju Samson at Lok Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday after the right-handed batter's immense contribution to India's T20 World Cup 2026-winning campaign.

In an X post, the Kerala Governor said that he honoured Sanju Samson by draping a shawl over him and presenting a kasavu mundu, an idol of Lord Padmanabhaswamy, and the autobiography 'Playing It My Way' by Sachin Tendulkar.

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"Hon'ble Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar honoured Shri Sanju Samson at Lok Bhavan. The Governor received Sanju by draping a shawl over him and presented him a kasavu mundu and an idol of Lord Padmanabhaswamy, and the autobiography of Sachin Tendulkar, 'Playing It My Way'," reads the X post by the Kerala Governor.

Sanju Samson was key to India's emphatic 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.

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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)

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