The International Cricket Council (ICC) has officially released the list of eight nominees for the T20 World Cup 2026 ‘Player of the Tournament’ award. The prestigious shortlist includes top performing players from different countries including Will Jacques and Sahibzada Farhan, but only one Indian player has been included.
The announcement came after India secured their place in the final with a close seven-run win against England. They successfully defended the target of 253 runs to ensure victory. The Men in Blue are going to face New Zealand in the summit clash on Sunday, March 8 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
Sanju Samson and Will Jack headline Player of the Tournament nominations
The eight nominees for the award are Will Jacques, Sahibzada Farhan, Lungi Ngidi, Aiden Markram, Rachin Ravindra, Shadley van Schalkwyk, Tim Seifert and Sanju Samson.
Will Jacques is the favorite to win the award after a phenomenal all-round campaign. He achieved four Player of the Match awards. He scored 226 runs at a strike rate of 176.56. With the ball, he took nine wickets, including impressive spells of 3/22 against Sri Lanka and 2/23 against New Zealand.
Sanju Samson is the only Indian player in this list. The wicketkeeper-batsman has scored 232 runs in just four matches at an incredible strike rate of 201.7. He scored an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies before scoring a blistering 89 off 42 balls in the semi-final against England.
South African and New Zealand stars recognized
South Africa also has several representatives on the list. Captain Aiden Markram scored 286 runs in eight matches and is currently the fourth leading run-scorer. He helped maintain an unbeaten run for the Proteas until their semi-final exit.
Fast bowler Lungi Ngidi joins him on the list after taking 12 wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of just 7.19, having made a lasting impact using his slower balls.
Sahibzada Farhan and Shadley Van Schalkwyk are the leading run-scorers and wicket-takers in the entire tournament. New Zealand’s pair of Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra have also earned a nomination for playing a big role in the Black Caps’ journey to the T20 World Cup final.
Jasprit Bumrah removed from shortlist
Jasprit Bumrah’s name is not in the list of eight-member players. Bumrah has the best economy rate in the 2026 tournament. He has consistently bowled the toughest overs for India, taking 10 wickets in seven matches at an average of 15.90 and an economy rate of 6.62.
In a high-scoring semi-final against England, where the average run rate was 12.5, Bumrah bowled a match-defining spell of 1/33 with an economy of 8.20.
Notably, only two Indian players have won the ‘Player of the Tournament’ award in the history of the T20 World Cup.
Virat Kohli was named the best player for two consecutive editions in 2014 and 2016 after exceptional batting campaigns. Bumrah won the award for his sensational performances during India’s title-winning run in 2024.
Also read: Gautam Gambhir left Team India camp before T20 World Cup 2026 semi-finals for this big reason
