T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament nominees revealed
Will Jacks (England)
8 matches, 226 runs, 9 wickets
England’s jack of all trades has been instrumental in his team winning six of their eight matches at the T20 World Cup. Jacks won four Player of the Match honours, including in the crucial Super Eight clashes against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Having dropped down the batting order, Jacks played the role of finisher to perfection. He scored 226 runs, at a strike rate of 176.56, giving his team the much-needed acceleration at the end.
His best performance with the bat was against Italy, when he led England’s recovery from 105/5 to 202/7. With the help of three fours and four sixes, Jacks scored an unbeaten 53 off just 22 balls.
An effective off-spinner, Jacks also given his team timely breakthroughs. Against Sri Lanka, he ran through the middle-order, claiming 3/22 in four overs, his best figures of the tournament, following a handy 21 with the bat. Jacks came up with another all-round display against New Zealand, claiming 2/23 and scoring an unbeaten 32 to guide his team to a four-wicket win.
Sahibzada Farhan (Pakistan)
7 matches, 383 runs, 76.60 average, 160.25 strike rate
Sahibzada Farhan provided the silver lining in another mercurial Pakistan campaign. The opening batter scored 383 runs in six innings to record the most runs scored in a single edition of a Men's T20 World Cup.
Farhan also became the first player to score two centuries at an single edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup as he scored a hundred against Sri Lanka and Namibia. Though Pakistan were unable to meet the net run-rate requirements and qualify for the semi-finals, Farhan, in the company of Fakhar Zaman took his team to a roaring start.
A technically sound player, Farhan has adapted well to the fast and furious T20 approach.
Lungi Ngidi (South Africa)
7 matches, 12 wickets, 7.19 economy
Lungi Ngidi is a vital cog in South Africa’s pace battery and was their most consistent fast bowler at the ongoing T20 World Cup.
He began the tournament with a four-wicket haul against Canada, and followed it up with a 3/26 against Afghanistan in the epic that was decided by two Super Overs. Ngidi also claimed three wickets against West Indies in the Super Eights.
Though he wasn’t among the wickets in the match against India, Ngidi kept the rival batters in check with off-cutters and conceded only 15 runs in his four overs.
Aiden Markram (South Africa)
8 matches, 286 runs, 1 wicket
Aiden Markram was central to Proteas’ assured performances at this T20 World Cup, with the right-hander compiling three half-centuries across eight matches.
Slotting himself at the top of the batting order, Markram's best performances came in run-chases against New Zealand in the opening group stage and against the West Indies in the Super Eights.
He scored an unbeaten 86 against the Black Caps to help South Africa chase down 176 in 17.1 overs, Markram carried his bat in the match against West Indies as well, with an unbeaten 86 as his team overhauled a target of 177 in the 16.1 overs.
Though Markram has taken just one wicket yet, it was that of Ishan Kishan in the all-important clash against India, which South Africa comfortably won by 76 runs.
Rachin Ravindra (New Zealand)
8 matches, 11 wickets, 128 runs
A big-hitting batter, Rachin Ravindra has proved valuable to his side with the ball as well at this T20 World Cup.
After their opening Super Eight clash against Pakistan was washed out, the left-arm spinner gave New Zealand the edge in the clash against Sri Lanka. He scored 32 runs and returned to claim 4/27 to help restrict the co-hosts to 107/8. In the next match against England, he finished with 3/19 in a losing effort.
Shadley van Schalkwyk (USA)
4 matches, 13 wickets, 6.80 economy
Even though the USA exited after the opening group stage, Shadley van Schalkwyk set the benchmark for bowlers at this T20 World Cup. In just four matches, the American pacer claimed 13 wickets at a respectable economy rate in the shortest format. It still tops the charts for equal most wickets at this edition.
Van Schalkwyk began T20 World Cup 2026 with a four-wicket haul against India on February 7. He varied his pace to perfection to help reduce India to 77/6 at one point, though the co-hosts found a way out. In the next match against Pakistan, the pacer returned with identical figures of 4/25.
Tim Seifert (New Zealand)
8 matches, 274 runs, 45.66 average, 161.17 strike rate
Tim Seifert has played a major part in New Zealand's run to the T20 World Cup decider, with the right-hander having amassed 274 runs across eight matches with a total of eight half-centuries.
Seifert started the tournament in style with fifties against Afghanistan and the UAE, but it was his 58 against South Africa in the semi-finals that was his most important knock of the event thus far.
The opener combined with Finn Allen for a partnership of 117 at the top of the order as the Black Caps successfully chased down the victory target of 170 inside 30 overs.
Sanju Samson (India)
4 matches, 232 runs, 77.33 average, 201.73 strike rate
Sanju Samson is getting better with every showing at the T20 World Cup, with the right-hander having delivered back-to-back Player of the Match performances in India's last two fixtures at the tournament.
Samson smashed an unbeaten 97* from just 50 deliveries in a a crucial Super Eights victory over the West Indies and then delivered for his country once gain in the knockout semi-final when scoring a brisk 89 from 42 balls.
ICC
