Samson and Kerr Named ICC Players of Month for March

Indian cricketer Sanju Samson was named the ICC Men's Player of the Month for March on Tuesday, recognized for his explosive performances that propelled India to successfully defend their T20 World Cup title. The wicketkeeper-batter, who emerged as a key figure in the tournament's decisive stages, beat out teammate Jasprit Bumrah and South Africa's Connor Esterhuizen for the honor.

Samson, 31, initially sat out the early matches but was brought into the lineup for India's critical Super 8 fixtures. He began with a steady 24 runs against Zimbabwe before unleashing a series of match-defining innings. In a must-win clash against the West Indies, his unbeaten 97 steered India into the semifinals, falling just short of a century. Samson then smashed 89 runs against England in the semifinal at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, helping India post 253 for seven; England fell seven runs short of the target. He capped his run with another 89 in the final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad, securing a 96-run victory and marking India as the first team to retain the T20 World Cup on home soil.

Across those three March matches, Samson accumulated 275 runs at an average of 137.50 and a strike rate of...