ICC Unveils Eight Nominees for T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament

Dubai: The International Cricket Council on Friday released the shortlist for the T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament, highlighting a global spread of match-winners who have lit up the competition ahead of Sunday’s final between India and New Zealand in Ahmedabad.

India’s Sanju Samson headlines the nominations after a blistering run that began once he entered the XI in the knockout phase. The right-hander hammered 97 off 50 balls against the West Indies in the quarterfinals before topping that with an 89 off 42 against England in the semifinal, an innings that proved decisive in a seven-run victory. Across four outings he has amassed 232 runs at an average of 77.33 and a tournament-best strike rate of 201.73, pocketing back-to-back player-of-the-match awards.

England’s Will Jacks has been equally influential, underpinning his side’s surge to six wins in eight matches. The all-rounder has compiled 226 runs and chipped in with nine wickets, earning four separate player-of-the-match honours.

Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan owns the most prolific individual campaign, his 383 runs in six innings featuring two centuries—the most hundreds by any batter in a single T20 World Cup edition.

South Africa pair Lungi Ngidi and Aiden Markram provide a dual threat. Ngidi’s 12 wickets in seven games have anchored the Proteas attack, while skipper Markram has accumulated 286 runs in eight innings to hold the batting unit together.

New Zealand’s Rachin Ravindra has embodied the modern two-way cricketer, striking 128 runs and claiming 11 wickets, and team-mate Tim Seifert has supplied consistent top-order impetus with 274 runs that include eight half-centuries.

Despite the United States’ early exit, left-arm seamer Shadley van Schalkwyk forced his way into the reckoning with 13 wickets in only four matches, the most by any bowler still in contention.

The winner will be announced following Sunday’s final, capping a tournament that has showcased explosive batting, disciplined bowling and nerveless finishes across host venues.