The T20 World Cup 2026 has finally drawn curtains on a historical note, with India becoming the first team to win the elite trophy at home. On March 08 (Sunday), the hosts secured a 96-run triumph over the formidable New Zealand team at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
While Team India’s fierce version turned the game into one-sided domination, the individual performances of players became the talking point of the town. Indian opener Sanju Samson once again proved his consistency at the top order by scoring consecutive half-centuries in high-pressure matches.
Samson was honored with the Player of the Tournament (POTM) accolade for his highly impactful knocks despite being benched for half of the tournament. The 31-year-old has now joined those legends who have etched their legacy in T20 history by earning the highly prestigious award.
As the 10th edition of the T20 World Cup concluded on a historic note, let’s take a look at those nine cricketers who bagged the POTM award since the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2007.
Shahid Afridi (PAKISTAN): 2007
Former Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi was the key performer of his side. As a leg-spin bowler, he averaged at 15.67.
The multi-talented Pakistani cricketer was indeed the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament alongside Stuart Clark (AUSTRALIA) and RP Singh (INDIA), having claimed 12 wickets.
Afridi was indeed the trendsetter for spinners in the modern T20 bowling, given his ability to control the flow of runs and grab wickets instantly in the middle overs.
Tillakaratne Dilshan (SRI LANKA): 2009
Sri Lankan opener Tillakaratne Dilshan was the pillar of his team’s top order in the 2009 T20 World Cup edition. He averaged at 52.83 and concluded as the tournament’s leading run scorer, having scored 317 runs in 7 matches, including 3 half-centuries.
Dishan’s aggressive approach in the powerplay set a new template for the opening batters in the first six overs of the 20-over cricket.
Kevin Pietersen (ENGLAND): 2010
With 248 runs in 6 matches, Kevin Pietersen ranked as the second-highest run-scorer of the tournament. The English opening batter adopted a different approach on the Caribbean pitches compared to other batters of that era.
His 47-run knock off 31 balls against Australia (including 4 fours and 1 six) in the final gave a rousing start to his team in a 148-run chase.
Shane Watson (AUSTRALIA): 2012
Former Australian cricketer Shane Watson’s effective contribution in terms of batting and bowling stands tall as the dominant all-round performance ever in the T20 World Cup history.
Having amassed 249 runs and 11 wickets in 6 innings, Watson topped the charts as the leading-run scorer and the second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament after Ajantha Mendis (15 wickets).
Virat Kohli (INDIA): 2014 and 2016
By winning back-to-back POTM awards in the T20 World Cup 2014 and 2016, Virat Kohli established his legacy as the batting maestro of T20 cricket. Notably, in both these editions, the run machine of the Indian cricket team topped the charts as the highest run-scorer of his side.
In 2014, Kohli emerged as the highest run scorer of the edition, having smashed a staggering figure of 319 runs in 6 innings at an average of 106.33.
Subsequently, in the next edition (in 2016), the right-handed batter proved his chasing abilities under pressure. He accumulated 273 runs in 5 innings at an average of 136.50.
David Warner (AUSTRALIA): 2021
Having scored 289 runs in 7 innings, David Warner not only ranked as the second-highest run scorer of the season, but also played a pivotal role for Australia’s maiden T20 World Cup triumph in 2021.
Sam Curran (ENGLAND): 2022
English all-rounder Sam Curran was impressive with his fast bowling skills, having claimed 13 wickets in 6 matches. He averaged at 11.38 throughout the tournament, which includes his best bowling figures of 5/10 in 3.4 overs against Afghanistan.
Jasprit Bumrah (INDIA): 2024
Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah was at his peak form in the T20 World Cup 2024. He averaged at 8.27, having bagged 15 wickets in 8 matches.
The veteran speedster’s 2/18 in 4 overs against South Africa in the final not only saved India from facing a defeat but also played a crucial role for his team to end the 11-year ICC trophy drought.
Sanju Samson (INDIA): 2026
Indian opener Sanju Samson played only 5 innings in the T20 World Cup 2026. Despite not playing all matches, he accumulated 321 runs and still managed to outperform Virat Kohli’s record in 2014 (319 runs in 6 innings).
Especially, Samson’s 89-run knock against New Zealand in the final helped India defend their title at home on a dominating note.
The Kerala-born cricketer struck three consecutive fifties in crucial moments for India, which made him the top choice for the Player of the Tournament this edition.