Sanju Samson was adjudged the Player of the Tournament of the 2026 T20 World Cup. (AP Photo)
ICC T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament winners: The 10th edition of the Men’s T20 World Cup drew curtains on Sunday as India clinched their third title over New Zealand in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Starring throughout the knockout phase with a terrific turnaround to his fortunes, India wicket-keeper Sanju Samson’s record-breaking performances culminated with him bagging the Player of the Tournament award.
Samson broke a heap of records after lighting up the final with a third successive fifty-plus score, a 46-ball 89, that powered India to a record-breaking 255/5 against the Kiwis. Samson surpassed Virat Kohli to set a fresh Indian record for most runs in a World Cup edition, amassing 321 runs in five innings. He also became the first man to hit more than 150 runs in a semi-final and final of an edition of the tournament while also smashing a record 24 sixes in the tournament.
Over the last nine completed editions, eight different players have emerged as the Player of the Tournament between 2007 and 2024. India legend Virat Kohli is the only player to have received the accolade, running sensational streaks in both the 2014 and 2016 editions. Kohli recorded 319 runs in 2014 as India fell short in the final against Sri Lanka. He was the lone sparkle during India’s last World Cup at home in 2016, scoring 273 runs as the Men in Blue bowed with a semi-final loss.
Pakistan legend Shahid Afridi was the first recipient of the Player of the Tournament award in 2007, having picked up 12 wickets and scored 91 runs even as his team fell before India in the final. The awards have since been split between two Australians (Shane Watson in 2012 and David Warner in 2021), two Englishmen (Kevin Pietersen in 2010 and Sam Curran in 2022) and a Sri Lankan (Tillakaratne Dilshan in 2009). India’s pace ace Jasprit Bumrah was adjudged the Player of the Tournament during the victorious run to a second title in 2024, bagging 15 wickets in eight games.
| Player | Team | Year | Matches | Runs | Wickets |
| Shahid Afridi | Pakistan | 2007 | 7 | 91 | 12 |
| Tillakaratne Dilshan | Sri Lanka | 2009 | 7 | 317 | 0 |
| Kevin Pietersen | England | 2010 | 6 | 248 | 0 |
| Shane Watson | Australia | 2012 | 7 | 249 | 11 |
| Virat Kohli | India | 2014 | 6 | 319 | 0 |
| Virat Kohli | India | 2016 | 5 | 273 | 1 |
| David Warner | Australia | 2021 | 7 | 289 | 0 |
| Sam Curran | England | 2022 | 6 | 12 | 13 |
| Jasprit Bumrah | India | 2024 | 8 | – | 15 |
| Sanju Samson | India | 2026 | 5 | 321 | – |
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