Sanju Samson headlines T20 World Cup 2026 Player of the Tournament nominees list

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially released the list of eight nominees for the T20 World Cup 2026 'Player of the Tournament' award. The prestigious shortlist features top performers, including Will Jacks and Sahibzada Farhan from various nations, but only one Indian player has been included.

The announcement came after India secured their spot in the final with a narrow seven-run win against England. They successfully defended a 253-run target to secure the victory. The Men in Blue are set to face New Zealand in the summit clash at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.

Sanju Samson and Will Jacks Headline Player of the Tournament Nominations

The eight nominees for the award are Will Jacks, Sahibzada Farhan, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Rachin Ravindra, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Tim Seifert, and Sanju Samson.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

Will Jacks is a favourite in the race to win the award after a phenomenal all-round campaign. He secured four Player of the Match awards. He scored 226 runs at a strike rate of 176.56. With the ball, he picked up nine wickets, including impressive spells of 3/22 against Sri Lanka and 2/23 against New Zealand.

Sanju Samson is the only Indian player on the list. The wicketkeeper-batter has amassed 232 runs in just four games at an incredible strike rate of 201.7. He smashed an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies before playing a whirlwind innings of 89 off 42 balls in the semifinal against England.

South African and New Zealand Stars Recognized

South Africa also have multiple representatives on the list. Captain Aiden Markram scored 286 runs in eight matches and is currently the fourth-leading run-scorer. He helped maintain an unbeaten run for the Proteas until their semifinal exit.

Pacer Lungi Ngidi joins him on the list after taking 12 wickets in seven matches with an economy rate of just 7.19, using his dipping slower deliveries to make a lasting impression.

Sahibzada Farhan and Shadley van Schalkwyk are the leading run-scorer and wicket-taker of the entire tournament. The New Zealand pair of Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra have also earned nominations for playing massive roles in the Black Caps' journey to the T20 World Cup final.

Jasprit Bumrah Snubbed From the Shortlist

Jasprit Bumrah is absent from the eight-man list. Bumrah has the best economy rate in the 2026 tournament. He has taken 10 wickets in seven outings at an average of 15.90 and an economy rate of 6.62 while consistently bowling the most difficult overs for India.

In a high-scoring semifinal against England, where the average run rate was 12.5, Bumrah bowled a match-defining spell of 1/33 with an economy of 8.20.

Notably, only two Indian players have ever won the 'Player of the Tournament' award in the history of the T20 World Cup.

Virat Kohli was named the best player for two consecutive editions in 2014 and 2016 after exceptional batting campaigns. Bumrah won it for his sensational displays during India's title-winning run in 2024.

Also read: Gautam Gambhir leaves Team India camp before T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final for this huge reason