Sanju Samson Among 8 Nominees for T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament

March 6, 2026

Dubai: As the T20 World Cup nears its conclusion, with India and New Zealand set to lock horns in the summit clash on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium, the ICC has unveiled the best performers from the ongoing mega event who have made the Player of the Tournament shortlist.

India’s Sanju Samson is among the eight nominees which includes Will Jacks (England), Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan), Lungi Ngidi (South Africa), Aiden Markram (South Africa), Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand), Shadley van Schalkwyk (USA), and Tim Seifert (New Zealand).

Samson’s Match-Winning Performances

Samson is getting better with every showing at the T20 World Cup, with the right-hander having delivered back-to-back Player of the Match performances in India’s last two fixtures at the tournament.

He smashed an unbeaten 97 from just 50 deliveries in a crucial Super Eights victory over the West Indies and then delivered for his country once again in the knockout semi-final when scoring a brisk 89 from 42 balls.

In the four matches, the wicketkeeper-batter scored 232 runs at an average of 77.33 and a strike rate of 201.73.

Will Jacks’ All-Round Impact

England’s Jacks won four Player of the Match honours, including in the crucial Super Eight clashes against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Having dropped down the batting order, he played the role of finisher to perfection. He scored 226 runs at a strike rate of 176.56, giving his team the much-needed acceleration at the end. His best performance with the bat was against Italy, when he led England’s recovery from 105/5 to 202/7. With the help of three fours and four sixes, Jacks scored an unbeaten 53 off just 22 balls.

An effective off-spinner, Jacks also gave his team timely breakthroughs. Against Sri Lanka, he ran through the middle order, claiming 3/22 in four overs, his best figures of the tournament, following a handy 21 with the bat. Jacks came up with another all-round display against New Zealand, claiming 2/23 and scoring an unbeaten 32 to guide his team to a four-wicket win.

Farhan’s Record-Breaking Campaign

Farhan provided the silver lining in another mercurial Pakistan campaign. The opening batter scored 383 runs in six innings to record the most runs scored in a single edition of a Men’s T20 World Cup.

He also became the first player to score two centuries in a single edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup, scoring hundreds against Sri Lanka and Namibia.

Bowlers and All-Rounders Shine

Lungi Ngidi has been a vital cog in South Africa’s pace attack and was their most consistent fast bowler at the ongoing T20 World Cup. He began the tournament with a four-wicket haul against Canada and followed it up with 3/26 against Afghanistan in a thriller decided by two Super Overs. Ngidi also claimed three wickets against West Indies in the Super Eights.

Aiden Markram has also been central to South Africa’s performances, compiling three half-centuries across eight matches. Batting at the top of the order, he scored an unbeaten 86 against New Zealand to help chase down 176 in 17.1 overs. Markram also carried his bat with another unbeaten 86 against West Indies as South Africa chased 177 in just 16.1 overs.

Rachin Ravindra has contributed with both bat and ball for New Zealand. After their Super Eight clash against Pakistan was washed out, the left-arm spinner helped New Zealand against Sri Lanka by scoring 32 runs and picking up 4/27 to restrict the co-hosts to 107/8. He followed that with figures of 3/19 against England.

USA pacer Shadley van Schalkwyk started the tournament with a four-wicket haul against India on February 7, reducing them to 77/6 at one stage. He repeated identical figures of 4/25 in the next match against Pakistan.

Tim Seifert has been a key figure in New Zealand’s run to the final, amassing 274 runs in eight matches with eight half-centuries. He began the tournament with fifties against Afghanistan and the UAE, while his 58 against South Africa in the semi-final proved crucial.

The opener also shared a 117-run partnership with Finn Allen as New Zealand successfully chased down a target of 170 to secure their place in the final.