Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar honoured Indian cricketer Sanju Samson at Lok Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday (16th March) for his outstanding contribution to India’s T20 World Cup win.

In a post on X (formely known as Twitter), the Governor said he welcomed the dashing right hand batter by draping a shawl over him and presented him with a kasavu mundu, an idol of Lord Padmanabhaswamy, and Sachin Tendulkar’s autobiography, Playing It My Way.

The X post read: “Hon’ble Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar honoured Shri Sanju Samson at Lok Bhavan. The Governor welcomed him with a shawl and gave him a kasavu mundu, an idol of Lord Padmanabhaswamy, and the autobiography Playing It My Way by Sachin Tendulkar.”

आज लोकभवन में क्रिकेटर श्री संजू सैमसन जी से भेंट की। उन्हें शॉल, कासवु मुंडु, भगवान पद्मनाभस्वामी की प्रतिमा और श्री सचिन तेंदुलकर जी की आत्मकथा Playing It My Way भेंट कर सम्मानित किया।
Met cricketer Sanju Samson at Lokbhavan today. Honoured him with a shawl, a kasavu mundu, an… pic.twitter.com/2mdxSCG5id

— Rajendra Arlekar (@rajendraarlekar) March 16, 2026

Also read: Sanju Samson receives special praise from football legend after ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 heroics

The 199 strike rate campaign that broke Virat Kohli’s historic record

The right hand batter played a very important role in India’s strong finish at the World Cup 2026. He was named the Player of the Tournament. He scored 321 runs in five innings with an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37. He hit 27 fours and 24 sixes and became the third-highest run-scorer in the tournament. He also broke Virat Kohli’s record of 319 runs in a single T20 World Cup for India.

At the start, the India opener did not score much in his first two matches. But later, he played very well. He scored an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies in an important match. Then he scored 89 runs against England in the semi-final and another 89 in the final against New Zealand.

In the T20 World Cup 2026, India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs on March 8. With this win, India defended their title. India became the first team to win the T20 World Cup at home. They also became the first team to win back-to-back titles after winning in 2024, and the first team to win the trophy three times (2007, 2024, and 2026).

Samson joined Chennai Super Kings in a record breaking ₹18 crore trade

Sanju Samson will play for Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2026. The 31-year-old cricketer from Kerala joined the team from Rajasthan Royals in a trade deal before the IPL 2026 auction. His move in November 2025 surprised many fans.

The dashing right hand batter played 11 IPL seasons for Rajasthan Royals and is their top player in matches and runs. He also played for the Delhi Capitals for two seasons before returning to the Rajasthan Royals. In IPL 2026, The talismanic opener will make his debut for the Ruturaj Gaikwad-led Chennai Super Kings against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati. He said he will not let emotions affect his game and will try to play his best against his former team.