Sanju Samson is reportedly under the ICC scanner over his celebration after the match-winning knock against the West Indies. What may concern fans the most is that reports suggest the Indian batter may be banned from the semi-final.
The action that is under the radar is not the celebration itself. It’s what he did just before that. Soon after hitting the match-winning 4, Sanju Samson took off his helmet and ‘threw’ it to the ground. Then, he dropped to his knees and thanked the Almighty.
Sanju later called it a “very special moment”.
“I am a great believer, and I want to keep it very private. And, it’s a very special moment for me,” he told Parthiv Patel on JioHotstar.
At this moment, it is unclear if the ICC is considering any action for Sanju Samson. But, there has been a lot of buzz on social media.
Can Sanju Samson be punished?
Yes, he can if it is considered ‘throwing’ the helmet. According to the ICC Code of Conduct, players must maintain proper behaviour on the field. Under Article 2.2, players can be punished for “abuse of cricket equipment”. This includes throwing or hitting items such as helmets, bats or stumps, whether intentionally or not.
Any action “which deliberately (i.e. intentionally), recklessly or negligently (in either case even if accidental) results in damage to the advertising boards, boundary fences, dressing room doors, mirrors, windows and other fixtures and fittings” is considered a breach of the ICC Code of Conduct.
Recently, on 18 February, George Munsey was given 1 demerit point. The Scottish cricketer was punished for throwing his helmet after getting out in a T20 World Cup 2026 match.
Can Sanju Samson be banned?
In most cases, cricketers are not banned for abusing cricket equipment. Under the ICC Code of Conduct, such actions are usually treated as a Level 1 offence. Match referees are usually more lenient when players show emotion in celebration rather than anger or protest.
The maximum punishment at Level 1 is a fine of up to 50% of the match fee and 2 demerit points. A match ban is uncommon at this level.
A ban can occur if the offence is upgraded to Level 2. It may also happen if a player accumulates 4 demerit points within 24 months.
For example, Harmanpreet Kaur was banned for 2 matches. It is because her incident involved both equipment abuse and public dissent against umpires, which made it a Level 2 offence.
According to Anil Chaudhary, Sanju Samson won't be banned. Check the ICC umpire's take:
India will play England in the T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final on 5 March. The match will take place in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium.
