T20 World Cup 2026: Samson, Seifert, Markram among nominees for Player of the Tournament

India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, England all-rounder Will Jacks, Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan, USA pacer Shadley van Schalkwyk, New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert and all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, South Africa skipper Aiden Markram and pacer Lungi Ngidi are the nominees for the Player of the Tournament award in the T20 World Cup 2026.

Sanju Samson: 4 matches, 232 runs

Sanju Samson has improved with every appearance at the T20 World Cup, having secured back-to-back Player of the Match awards in India's last two fixtures against the West Indies and England.

Samson smashed an unbeaten 97 off just 50 balls in the crucial Super Eights win over the West Indies in a virtual quarter-final and then delivered a brisk 89 from 42 against England in the semi-final. Overall, he has 232 runs at a stellar average of 77.33 and strike rate of 201.73 in four matches.

Will Jacks: 8 matches, 226 runs, 9 wickets

Jacks was instrumental in each of England’s six wins in their eight matches at the T20 World Cup. He won a record-equalling four Player of the Match honours, including in the crucial Super Eight clashes against Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

Jacks played the role of finisher to perfection, scoring 226 runs at a strike rate of 176.56. His best with the bat came against Italy, when he helped England recover from 105/5 to 202/7 through his unbeaten 53 off just 22 balls.

Jacks also provided the team with timely breakthroughs through his off-spin. Against Sri Lanka, he claimed 3/22 in four overs, his best figures of the tournament, in addition to a handy 21 with the bat. Jacks came up with another sensational display against New Zealand, claiming 2/23 and scoring an unbeaten 32 to guide his team to a four-wicket win.

Sahibzada Farhan: 7 matches, 383 runs

Sahibzada Farhan proved to be the silver lining in an otherwise disappointing campaign for Pakistan. The aggressive opener scored 383 runs in six innings at an average of 76.60 and a strike rate of 160.25, recording the most runs scored in a single edition of a Men's T20 World Cup.

He also became the first player to score two centuries in a single edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup, notching up three figures against Sri Lanka and Namibia. Though Pakistan could not qualify for the semi-finals, Farhan's performances stood out in his team's outings.

Aiden Markram: 8 matches, 286 runs, 1 wicket

Aiden Markram was a vital cog in the Proteas’ wheel at this T20 World Cup, compiling three half-centuries across eight matches. Opening the batting, his best performances came in run-chases against New Zealand in the group stage clash and then against the West Indies in the Super Eights.

His 86 against the Black Caps helped South Africa chase down 176 in 17.1 overs, and the right-hander carried his bat in the match against West Indies with an unbeaten 86 as his team gunned down 177 in 16.1 overs.

Though Markram took just one wicket, it was of Ishan Kishan in the Super Eight clash against India, which South Africa won by 76 runs.

Lungi Ngidi: 7 matches, 12 wickets, 7.19 economy

Lungi Ngidi was South Africa’s most consistent pacer 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 iconic Double Super Over clash.

Ngidi returned with a three-wicket haul against West Indies in the Super Eights. Though he went wicketless against India, Ngidi kept the batters in check with slower and dipping ones to concede only 15 runs in his four overs.

Tim Seifert: 8 matches, 274 runs

Tim Seifert has played a crucial role in New Zealand's run to the T20 World Cup final, having amassed 274 runs at an average of 45.66 and a strike rate of 161.17 in eight matches, including three half-centuries.

Seifert started the tournament on a high with half-centuries against Afghanistan and the UAE. His 58 against South Africa in the semi-finals was the most critical knock for his team at the event thus far. Seifert joined Finn Allen in a partnership of 117 as the Black Caps overhauled 170 inside 13 overs.

Rachin Ravindra: 8 matches, 11 wickets, 128 runs

Rachin Ravindra has proved valuable for New Zealand with the ball at this T20 World Cup. After their Super Eight opener against Pakistan was washed out, the left-arm spinner gave New Zealand the edge against Sri Lanka, scoring 32 runs and returning 4/27 to restrict the co-hosts to a paltry 107/8. Against England, he finished with 3/19 in a lost cause.

Shadley van Schalkwyk: 4 matches, 13 wickets

USA pacer Shadley van Schalkwyk was at his prolific best at the T20 World Cup. In just four matches, he claimed 13 wickets at an impressive economy rate of 6.80. It still tops the charts for most wickets in this edition.

Van Schalkwyk began the tournament with a four-wicket haul against India, reducing them to 77/6 at one point. In the next match against Pakistan, he returned with identical figures of 4/25. Though the USA made an early exit from the tournament, van Schalkwyk certainly stood out as a top performer at the event.