The New Zealand cricket team will take on the Indian cricket team in the final match of the T20 World Cup 2026 on 8th March, at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Ahead of the tournament’s grand final, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has announced the nominations for the Player of the Tournament (POTT) award.
Yes, the ICC has released a list of eight nominees for the POTT award. Interestingly, only one Indian has made it to the list, and it’s not Jasprit Bumrah but Sanju Samson.
Apart from India’s Sanju Samson, the other nominees are England’s all-rounder Will Jacks, Pakistan’s opener Sahibzada Farhan, South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram and pacer Lungi Ngidi, New Zealand’s batter Tim Seifert and all-rounder Rachin Ravindra, and American bowler Shadley van Schalkeyk.
Here’s the full list of players nominated for the Player of the Tournament award in the T20 World Cup 2026:
1. Sanju Samson – India:
4 matches, 232 runs, 77.33 average, 201.73 strike rate
Sanju Samson is currently enjoying the form of his life. He missed the initial matches; however, he later lit up the T20 World Cup 2026 with his back-to-back explosive performances.
Sanju played two of the most explosive knocks of his career. His first explosive knock was of 97* runs off 50 balls that came against the West Indies in the Super 8 game, which helped the Indian side to reach the semi-final match. His second knock came against the England cricket team, where he scored 84 runs off 42-balls and helped Team India reach the final. He won Player of the Match awards for both of his knocks.
2. Will Jacks – England:
8 matches, 226 runs, 9 wickets
England’s star all-rounder Will Jacks has played an instrumental role in the success of his team in the ongoing tournament. He has won four Player of the Match awards for his standout performances in the Super 8s games against New Zealand and Sri Lanka. So far, he has taken 9 wickets from eight games and has scored 226 runs.
3. Sahibzada Farhan – Pakistan:
7 matches, 383 runs, 76.60 average, 160.25 strike rate
Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan has earned praises from all corners for his spectacular performances in the ongoing T20 World Cup 2026. The opening batter amassed 383 runs in the 6 innings. He also broke Virat Kohli’s record for the most runs scored in a single edition of the T20 World Cup. Not just this, Farhan also became the first player in history to score two centuries in a single edition.
4. Lungi Ngidi – South Africa:
7 matches, 12 wickets, 7.19 economy
South Africa’s Lungi has proved his mettle as he has been the most consistent fast bowler for the Proteas. He picked 12 wickets from seven games, and he played at an economy rate of 7.19.
5. Aiden Markram – South Africa:
8 matches, 286 runs, 1 wicket
Proteas captain Aiden Markram has been a vital cog for his team. He registered 3 half-centuries. Across 8 games, scoring 286 runs and also picking up a wicket.
6. Rachin Ravindra – New Zealand:
8 matches, 11 wickets, 128 runs
New Zealand’s star all-rounder, Rachin Ravindra, has contributed with both bat and ball for New Zealand at the ongoing T20 World Cup. He has scored 128 runs and scalped 11 wickets from 8 games.
7. Shadley van Schalywyk – USA:
4 matches, 13 wickets, 6.80 economy
Shadley impressed one and all with his performances with the ball and set a new benchmark for the bowlers. He picked 13 wickets from four games at a respectable economy rate of 6.80.
8. Tim Seifert – New Zealand:
8 matches, 274 runs, 45.66 average, 161.17 strike rate
Tim Seifert has been the main contributor to New Zealand’s journey to the final clash. In the 8 games he played, he amassed 274 runs, including 3 half-centuries.
