Watch: Sanju Samson receives grand welcome in hometown after T20 World Cup 2026 win

Sanju Samson received a grand welcome as soon as he came out of the airport in his hometown. The Kerala-born stepped out of the Kerala airport with a huge applause from the fans. A large number of fans gathered to welcome the best player of the T20 World Cup 2026, mostly the local hero of Kerala. 

Samson, who had been struggling to score runs before the T20 World Cup 2026, concluded the tournament with the silverware and the Player of the Tournament award. On the Ahmedabad track, where the New Zealand batters suffocated for some runs, the star opener made his strokes soothing for the eyes.

In the summit clash, against a strong New Zealand cricket team, the right-handed batter smashed 89 runs off 46 balls. Kiwi pacer Lockie Ferguson proved the most expensive individual against Samson. The express bowler leaked 30 runs in only 7 balls. Against Ferguson, Samson hit two 4s and three 6.

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Another Kisi pacer, Matt Henry, also proved costly when he conceded 19 runs off 11 balls against the Indian batter. During the 46-ball knock, the Kerala-born smacked five 4s and eight 6s in total, which took his strike rate to 193.48.

Along with Abhishek Sharma (52) and Samson, India got 98 runs against 43 balls for the opening stand. Ishan Kishan, the number three batter, also joined the run feast after Sharma’s departure. For the second wicket, Ishan and Sanju confirmed 105 runs in 48 balls.

Sanju Samson receives a grand reception in Kerala

Posting a record-breaking total of 255, India won the Final by 96 runs. It was a magical moment for Sanju Samson. He was running out of words when he was asked to describe his feelings.

“It feels like a dream, actually. Very, very happy, very grateful. Out of words, out of emotions. I’m just going through it, so it feels a bit surreal”, with a smile on face, Samson said after the match.