Sanju Samson is the man of the moment now, having almost single-handedly guided India into the semifinal of the ICC T20 World Cup with a brilliant unbeaten 97 (50 balls) in the virtual quarterfinal against the West Indies in Kolkata.
The wicketkeeper-batter was warming the bench for much of the tournament, having had a horrid series against New Zealand before the World Cup, with scores of 10, 6,0, 24, 6 in the T20 series at home. But, an injury to regular opener Abhishek Sharma and a personal tragedy for middle-order batter Rinku Singh facilitated Samson’s return to the playing XI.
Earlier in the tournament, he had smashed an eight-ball 22 against Namibia. He set the tone with a 15-ball 24 in the match against Zimbabwe, before playing the innings of his life when the team needed it the most at the Eden Gardens on March 1.
While all eyes are on him and the Indian team ahead of the semifinal against England tomorrow at the Wankhede Stadium, there were reports in the media that Samson might face a ban from the ICC for “throwing” his helmet while celebrating India’s win against the West Indies. He had dropped to his knees in joy and relief after hitting the winning four, dropped his helmet on the ground and prayed. The image went viral on social media, with several fans calling it the most “secular” celebration.
What does the ICC’s rules say about “throwing” helmets?
The Article 2.2 of the ICC Code of Conduct, which prohibits the "abuse of cricket equipment" (including throwing helmets, bats, or stumps).
also read
- India vs England, T20 World Cup 2026: India delay training session due to lunar eclipse
- India vs England, T20 World Cup 2026: Abhishek Sharma or Rinku Singh? Which route will the Indian camp take?
- India vs England: Will Bumrah open the bowling with Arshdeep in T20 World Cup semifinal?
- Sanju Samson's 'secular celebration' after T20 World Cup match against West Indies tells us the real Kerala Story
However, since the act was a result of celebration rather than anger or dissent toward an umpire, it is categorised as a Level 1 offence.
For a Level 1 breach, the standard punishment is an official reprimand, a fine (up to 50 per cent of the match fee), and/or 1–2 demerit points.
A suspension or a ban is generally given for Level 2 offences or if a player accumulates four demerit points within a 24-month period. Since this is widely viewed as a Level 1 incident, experts and reports indicate that Samson will be eligible to play in the high-stakes semi-final against England at Wankhede Stadium on March 5.
The final decision will be taken by match referee Ranjan Madugalle.
What did former international umpire Anil Chaudhary say about the Sanju Samson incident?
Ex-international umpire Anil Chaudhary, who retired from umpiring last year, dismissed media reports which suggested a possible ban on Samson for his act.
In a video on Instagram, Chaudhary explained that the Kerala star dropped the helmet in celebration and not out of anger or in dissent, and so, the umpires and the match referee are likely to be lenient with him.
