T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament Winners List (2007–2026)

Indian wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson created history by winning the Player of the Tournament award in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026. With this achievement, Samson joined an elite club and became only the third Indian cricketer to win the prestigious award in the history of the tournament.

Samson delivered exceptional performances throughout the competition. He scored an unbeaten 97 runs against West Indies in the must-win Super Eight match, which proved crucial for India’s progress in the tournament. He continued his strong form in the knockout stages, scoring 89 runs in both the semifinal and the final, playing a key role in India’s title-winning campaign.

Before Samson, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah were the only Indian players to win the Player of the Tournament award. Kohli holds a unique record as the only player to win the award twice, in 2014 and 2016.

In the previous edition in 2024, India’s Jasprit Bumrah won the award after taking 15 wickets in eight matches, maintaining an outstanding economy rate of 4.17.

The first-ever Player of the Tournament award in the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup was won by Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi, who played a major role in his team’s campaign during the inaugural edition.

Full List of T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament Winners

Key Highlights

• Sanju Samson became the third Indian player to win the Player of the Tournament award.
• Virat Kohli remains the only player to win the award twice (2014 and 2016).
• Jasprit Bumrah won the award in 2024 with 15 wickets.
• Shahid Afridi was the first Player of the Tournament in 2007.