Only one Indian features as ICC unveils Player of the Tournament nominees for T20 World Cup 2026
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The International Cricket Council (ICC) revealed eight nominees for the Player of the Tournament award ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026 final.
The nominations for the T20 World Cup 2026 Player of the Tournament (POTT) have been announced by the International Cricket Council (ICC). The thrilling ICC T20 World Cup has reaching its final stage, as New Zealand will take on hosts India in the final showdown on March 8.
Defending Champions India beat England in the second semi-final 2 after New Zealand thrashed South Africa in the first semifinal to reach the final of the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. But two days prior to this epic clash, the ICC has nominated eight players who can win the POTT award. Surprisingly there is only one Indian player in the list.
Sanju Samson nominated for Player of the Tournament award of T20 World Cup 2026
The eight nominees for the award are Will Jacks, Sanju Samson, Aiden Markram, Lungi Ngidi, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert, Shadley van Schalkwyk, and Sahibzada Farhan. The two players who were a part of the run-fest in the second semi-final match between India and England are Will Jacks and Sanju Samson.
Englishman Will Jacks is the leading candidate to win the award after a phenomenal campaign with the bat and ball. He picked up four Player of the Match awards. He scored 226 runs with a strike rate of 176.56. He also picked up nine wickets, including 3/22 against Sri Lanka and 2/23 against New Zealand.
The only Indian cricketer in the list is Sanju Samson. The wicket-keeper batsman has accumulated 232 runs in just four matches at an astonishing strike rate of 201.7. Samson was not part of the playing XI at the start of the tournament. Coming in the team for crunch matches, Samson hit an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies before scoring a whirlwind 89 off just 42 balls in the semifinal against England.
South Africa has multiple representatives in the list. Captain Aiden Markram has managed to accumulate 286 runs in eight matches and is the fourth highest run-getter at the moment. He helped the Proteas continue their unbeaten streak until their exit at the semis. Pacer Lungi Ngidi also finds a place in the list for claiming 12 wickets in seven matches at an economical rate of 7.19, using the dipping slower balls to leave a lasting impression.
Sahibzada Farhan offered the silver lining in another disappointing Pakistan campaign. Farhan scored 383 runs in six innings, the highest runs scored in a single edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup. Farhan also became the first player to achieve the milestone of scoring two centuries in a single edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup, scoring one century each against Sri Lanka and Namibia.
New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra has proved to be useful for the team with the ball as well at this T20 World Cup. After the washout of the first Super Eight match against Pakistan, the left-arm spinner helped the Kiwis gain an advantage over Sri Lanka. He scored 32 runs and then took 4/27 to restrict the co-hosts to 107/8. In the next match against England, he ended up with 3/19.
Another Kiwi in the list, Tim Seifert has been instrumental in New Zealand’s campaign to the T20 World Cup Final. Having scored 274 runs in eight matches, Seifert has a total of three half-centuries under his belt. Seifert started off the T20 World Cup with a bang, scoring half-centuries against Afghanistan and UAE, although his best innings of the tournament so far has been his 58 against South Africa in the semi-final.
Though the USA left the tournament after the initial group phase, Shadley Van Schalkwyk set the standard for bowlers in the tournament. In just four games, the American pacer picked up 13 wickets at a reasonable economy rate in the shortest format, which is the highest in the list of the joint highest wickets taken in the tournament. Shadley Van Schalkwyk started the T20 World Cup 2026 campaign with a four-wicket haul against India.
ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Player of the Tournament Nominees
- 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)
Who has been nominated for the Player of the Tournament in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026?
The nominees are Will Jacks, Sahibzada Farhan, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Rachin Ravindra, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Tim Seifert and Sanju Samson.
Which Indian player has been nominated for the award?
Sanju Samson is the only Indian player nominated for the Player of the Tournament at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026.
When is the final of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 scheduled?
The final between India and New Zealand will be played on March 8.
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Vishwajit Sawant is a sports content writer with two years of experience who believes in writing that feels honest, simple, and easy to read. He enjoys breaking down sporting moments into stories readers can genuinely connect with, without relying on fancy vocabulary. His work spans cricket, football, basketball, tennis, and Formula 1, with a focus on match previews, reviews, and reports. Vishwajit believes good content doesn’t need to be loud — it just needs to leave a subtle impact.