Sanju among 8 nominees for T20 WC Player of the Tourney

As the T20 World Cup 2026 heads into its grand finale with India set to face New Zealand on Sunday, ICC has announced the shortlist for the Player of the Tournament award. Eight standout performers from across the competition have been nominated, including India’s wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson.
Samson produced back-to-back Player of the Match performances, first with a blistering 97 off 50 balls* against the West Indies in the Super Eights, followed by a crucial 89 off 42 balls in the semi-final. Across four matches, Samson amassed 232 runs at an average of 77.33 and a strike rate of 201.73, underlining his explosive form.
Will Jacks (England): A versatile all-rounder, Jacks earned four Player of the Match awards.
Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan): The tournament’s leading run-scorer with 383 runs in six innings, Farhan became the first player to score two centuries in a single T20 World Cup edition.
Lungi Ngidi (SA): Ngidi delivered consistent breakthroughs, starting with a four-wicket haul against Canada and following up with crucial spells against Afghanistan and WI.
Aiden Markram (SA): Anchoring South Africa’s batting, Markram struck three half-centuries, including unbeaten knocks of 86 against NZ and West Indies.
Rachin Ravindra (NZ): A dynamic all-rounder, Ravindra impressed with both bat and ball.
Shadley van Schalkwyk (USA): The pacer made headlines with back-to-back four-wicket hauls against India and Pakistan, using variations in pace to trouble top batting line-ups.
Tim Seifert (NZ): A consistent opener, Seifert scored 274 runs across eight matches, including vital fifties against Afghanistan, UAE, and a match-winning 58 in the semi-final against South Africa.