ICC Unveils Eight T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament Nominees, Only One from India

Mumbai:

The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday, March 6, unveiled the eight nominees for the T20 World Cup 2026 Player of the Tournament award. Among them, Sanju Samson is the only Indian cricketer to receive a nomination. The keeper-batter had been dropped from the playing XI earlier in the tournament, but a tactical change brought the Kerala batter back into the side. He returned during the clash against Zimbabwe and has been impressive ever since.

In the Super Eights match against the Chevrons, the 31-year-old scored a brisk 24 before producing a stunning unbeaten 97 against West Indies in India’s must-win game in Kolkata. He followed it up with another crucial knock of 89 in the semi-final, helping India post 253 in the first innings. Based on his consistent performances, Samson has earned a nomination for the prestigious award, previously won by Virat Kohli in 2014 and 2016. He can now be the second Indian to register the feat.

Who are the other seven nominees?

The other seven nominees include Will Jacks of England, Sahibzada Farhan of Pakistan, Lungi Ngidi of South Africa, Aiden Markram of South Africa, Rachin Ravindra of New Zealand, Shadley van Schalkwyk of USA, and Tim Seifert of New Zealand. 

Among these names, van Schalkwyk’s name stands out, given that the USA were eliminated from the group stage itself. However, the 37-year-old produced a stunning show in the four matches that he played, claiming 13 wickets. He is still the joint-leading wicket-taker of the tournament, alongside Blessing Muzarabani, Adil Rashid and Varun Chakravarthy. 

Sahibzada, on the other hand, is currently the leading run-scorer, having scored 383 runs in the tournament. He smacked two centuries but failed to help Pakistan qualify for the semi-finals. Ishan Kishan, in the meantime, is the leading run-scorer for India in the tournament, having amassed 263 runs in eight matches so far. 

New Zealand duo of Tim Seifert and Rachin Ravindra, who are part of the T20 World Cup final, will have an opportunity to better their stats and challenge for the prestigious award. 

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