Can Sanju Samson win T20 World Cup 2026 Player of the Tournament award?
(Courtesy : Getty Images)
Sanju Samson slammed consecutive half-centuries against West Indies and England to take India into the final of the T20 World Cup 2026.
On January 31, Sanju Samson scored 6 off 6 in his home town in Trivandrum during the final T20I against New Zealand. After the game, he looked disappointed and wasn’t aware whether he would get a chance to play for India in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. And here he is after five weeks.
Samson’s recent exploits have played a massive role in India‘s path to the final of the tournament. The 31-year-old got his first chance against Namibia when Abhishek Sharma missed a group game due to illness. Samson played a brilliant cameo of 22 off 8 balls, with three sixes and one four.
Later, he had his second chance against Zimbabwe when Indian openers were struggling against off-spin. To negate the spin threat, he was included at the top and scored 24 off 15 balls, with one four and two sixes. Samson has played in four games, and India have scored 209, 256, 199 (in chase), and 253. That shows the impact he has brought with him.
Can Sanju Samson win the Player of the Tournament award in T20 World Cup 2026?
Sanju Samson has scored 232 runs in four innings at an average of 77.33 and a strike rate of 201.73, with 16 sixes. He now has the most sixes by an Indian in a single T20 World Cup edition. His match-winning knocks have taken India very close to their third title.
India will face New Zealand in the final on Sunday at Narendra Modi Stadium. With the form Samson is in, there will be high hopes from him. And if he can deliver one more time in the final, there are chances that he might end up winning the Player of the Tournament award.
The Indian opener has been shortlisted for the award, and the final decision will be taken by the ICC after the final in Ahmedabad. The key factors for this award are consistency, impactful performances, and performance in key matches.
There is no doubt that Samson has been consistent and has delivered in knockout stages. That makes him a prime contender to win the Player of the Tournament award if he does well in the final. And if he wins this award, he will be only the third Indian after Virat Kohli (twice) and Jasprit Bumrah to win this award.
ICC T20 World Cup 2026: List of Players shortlisted for Player of the Tournament Award
India were struggling with the top order, but Samson’s inclusion has certainly covered that area of concern. In a must-win game against West Indies, Samson scored an unbeaten 97 off 50 to take India in the semifinal. Then, in the semis, he scored 89 off 42 balls, with eight fours and seven sixes.
His knock helped India to reach a score, which turned out to be a winning one. The two match-winning knocks have helped Samson to feature in the 8-man list for the contention for the Player of the Tournament award. The ICC revealed this elite list just after the thrilling semifinal between India and England in Mumbai.
Apart from Samson, the nominated players are:
- Will Jacks (England)
- Sanju Samson (India)
- Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)
- Tim Seifert (New Zealand)
- Aiden Markram (South Africa)
- Lungi Ngidi (South Africa)
- Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan)
- Shadley Van Schalkwyk (USA)
How many players have been shortlisted as nominees for the Player of the Tournament award?
The ICC has shortlisted 8 players, including Sanju Samson as a nominee for the Player of the Tournament award.
How many runs has Sanju Samson scored in the T20 World Cup 2026?
Sanju Samson has scored 232 runs in four innings with two half-centuries so far.
For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.
Karan Rawat is a seasoned cricket writer with a deep passion for the game and over 5 years of experience covering everything that the game can offer. He loves to share the analysis, match reports, and player profiles and tries to bring stories to life with a unique blend of statistics and storytelling. Whether breaking down Test match tactics or capturing the drama of a T20 thriller, Karan's work connects fans with the soul of the sport.