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DUBAI: India opener Sanju Samson and New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr have been named the ICC Players of the Month for March following a period of dominant performances on the international stage, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Wednesday.
Samson secured the men’s award after a career-defining run at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, where he played a pivotal role in India becoming the first team to retain the trophy and the first to win it on home soil.
The Indian opener, who was also named Player of the Tournament, struck three consecutive match-winning half-centuries in the knockout stages. After smashing an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies in the quarter-final, Samson followed up with scores of 89 in both the semi-final against England and the final against New Zealand.
“Playing a part in India’s triumph was truly a dream realised,” Samson said in a statement. “I feel grateful for the trust and support from my team-mates that allowed me to perform at my best.”
Samson won the accolade ahead of team-mate Jasprit Bumrah and South African rising star Connor Esterhuizen.
In the women’s category, New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr claimed her third ICC Player of the Month title after a statistically staggering month across two formats. Kerr outperformed Australia’s Beth Mooney and South Africa’s Ayabonga Khaka to take the award.
During the voting period, Kerr was named player of the series in New Zealand’s 3-0 ODI sweep of Zimbabwe, highlighted by a career-best haul of 7-34. She finished the ODI leg with 176 runs and 18 wickets at an economy rate of 3.77.
The leg-spinning all-rounder continued her form in the T20I series against South Africa, where she was again named player of the series after scoring 276 runs at a strike-rate of 158.62 and taking six wickets in the White Ferns’ 4-1 victory.
“It’s always nice to be able to contribute to wins for your country,” Kerr said. “Seeing the way the whole team has played, the selflessness and belief, has been the highlight for me.”
