Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Hosts Sanju Samson After T20 World Cup Success
Thiruvananthapuram : Pinarayi Vijayan hosted Sanju Samson at Cliff House in Thiruvananthapuram, praising his role in India's ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 triumph as the cricketer spoke about teamwork and inspiring youngsters from Kerala.
Sanju Samson is felicitated by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at his official residence on Tuesday
CM Pinarayi Vijayan conveyed the 'love and joy of the people of Kerala' and wished Samson greater success in his career.
Samson said the current Indian team prioritises collective success over individual milestones.
Samson emphasised that he has always viewed cricket as a team sport since his age-group days with Kerala.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hosted Indian cricketer Sanju Samson at his official residence, Cliff House, in Thiruvananthapuram.
The Kerala CM heaped praise on Samson for his contributions to India's success in the 2026 T20 World Cup.
'Had the pleasure of hosting India's pride and Kerala's own, Sanju Samson, at Cliff House yesterday. Conveyed the profound love and joy of the people of Kerala. May he draw strength from his recent achievements and continue to scale new heights. Wishing him the very best,' the Kerala CM wrote on X.
'I always wanted to be myself, never wanted to be selfless'
Sanju Samson was the top run-getter for India at the 2026 T20 World Cup, scoring 321 runs in 5 innings
Samson on Monday said the current Indian team consciously prioritises collective success over individual milestones.
'That's the way everyone is thinking now. It was a conscious decision brought in by our captain and coach in the dressing room. The constant message from our leaders to the group is that the team should come first and individual milestones should come second,' Samson said.
He added that the approach has been repeatedly reinforced among players.
'That automatically got drilled into each and every one of us in the team and that's how we started reacting in every game,' he said.
Samson said he has always preferred to stay true to himself while playing cricket and believes contributing to the team's success is the most important aspect of the game.'Honestly, I think that's the true nature. I never wanted to be selfless. I think I've always wanted to be myself. So myself brings a lot of different qualities, a lot of strengths and a lot of weaknesses,' he said.
'Needed to prove that a guy from Trivandrum can perform at the biggest stage'
The Kerala-born cricketer said he has viewed cricket as a team sport since his early days representing Kerala in age-group tournaments.
'From the time of Under-13 days playing for Kerala till this moment, I like to look at cricket as a team sport. We play to win. For that victory, whatever you do should be helping the team first,' he said.
Samson also spoke about the responsibility he feels as a cricketer from Kerala representing the country at the highest level, noting that many youngsters closely follow his journey.
'A lot of youngsters and people in different careers look at me like their own life. When they see me failing in the Indian team, they feel it's not possible for a guy from this place to go and achieve there,' he said.
'I felt that I need to prove something. A guy from Kerala, a guy from Trivandrum, can also go out there and perform on the biggest stage cricket has ever seen,' Samson said.
According to him, his recent performances have encouraged many youngsters in the state to dream bigger.
Samson said his immediate focus is on performing well in the upcoming Indian Premier League season.
Samson was named the Player of the Tournament at the ICC T20 World Cup after amassing 321 runs in five innings 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.
