India’s Sanju Samson is among the eight nominees, alongside England’s Will Jacks, Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan, South Africa’s duo Lungi Ngidi and Aiden Markram, New Zealand’s pair Rachin Ravindra and Tim Seifert, and USA’s Shadley van Schalkwyk.
India's Sanju Samson walks off the field after his dismissal during the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 semi-final match between India and England at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday, March 05, 2026. (Photo: IANS)
With their places in the final secured, India and New Zealand will lock horns in the summit clash of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup on Sunday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Ahead of the final, the ICC has unveiled the shortlist for the Player of the Tournament award, recognising the standout performers of the ongoing mega event.
India’s Sanju Samson is among the eight nominees, alongside England’s Will Jacks, Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan, South Africa’s duo Lungi Ngidi and Aiden Markram, New Zealand’s pair Rachin Ravindra and Tim Seifert, and USA’s Shadley van Schalkwyk.
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Samson has been one of India’s standout performers at the tournament, particularly stepping up in the crucial knockout stages. The wicketkeeper-batter produced back-to-back Player of the Match performances in India’s last two games.
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He first smashed an unbeaten 97 off just 50 balls in a crucial Super Eight victory over the West Indies that helped India book their spot in the semi-finals. Samson followed it up with another match-winning knock in the semi-final, scoring a brisk 89 off 42 balls against England.
Across four matches, the right-hander has amassed 232 runs at an average of 77.33 and a strike rate of 201.73.
England’s Will Jacks also enjoyed a prolific campaign, winning four Player of the Match awards, including in the crucial Super Eight clashes against Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Batting lower down the order, Jacks played the role of a finisher to perfection, scoring 226 runs at a strike rate of 176.56.
His standout innings came against Italy, when he powered England’s recovery from 105/5 to 202/7 with an unbeaten 53 off just 22 deliveries, striking three fours and four sixes.
Jacks also contributed with the ball, delivering key breakthroughs with his off-spin. Against Sri Lanka, he claimed 3/22 in four overs after scoring a handy 21 with the bat. He followed that with another all-round performance against New Zealand, picking up 2/23 and scoring an unbeaten 32 to guide England to a four-wicket win.
Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan was one of the tournament’s most prolific batters, scoring 383 runs in six innings, the most by a player in a single edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup. The opener also became the first player to score two centuries in a single edition of the tournament, achieving the feat against Sri Lanka and Namibia.
South Africa’s Lungi Ngidi proved to be a key figure in the Proteas’ pace attack and was their most consistent fast bowler throughout the tournament. He began with a four-wicket haul against Canada and followed it up with figures of 3/26 against Afghanistan in a thrilling contest decided by two Super Overs. Ngidi also picked up three wickets against the West Indies in the Super Eights.
Aiden Markram was another central figure in South Africa’s campaign, scoring three half-centuries across eight matches. Promoted to the top of the order, Markram delivered crucial performances in run chases.
He scored an unbeaten 86 against New Zealand to guide South Africa to a successful chase of 176 in 17.1 overs. Markram produced another unbeaten 86 against the West Indies, helping his side chase down 177 in just 16.1 overs.
New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra has impressed with both bat and ball during the tournament. After the Black Caps’ opening Super Eight clash against Pakistan was washed out, Ravindra made an impact against Sri Lanka by scoring 32 runs and returning with figures of 4/27 to restrict the co-hosts to 107/8. He followed that up with 3/19 against England.
USA pacer Shadley van Schalkwyk also enjoyed a strong campaign, starting the tournament with a four-wicket haul against India on February 7. His clever variations helped reduce India to 77/6 at one stage. He followed that performance with identical figures of 4/25 against Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Tim Seifert has played a crucial role in New Zealand’s run to the final, amassing 274 runs across eight matches.
The right-hander began the tournament with fifties against Afghanistan and the UAE, but his most significant knock came in the semi-final against South Africa, where he scored 58.
Seifert shared a 117-run opening partnership with Finn Allen as New Zealand successfully chased down a target of 170 to secure their place in the final.
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