No Indian needs to explain the hype around cricket. The demand is even crazier during the World Cup, one of which just ended on March 8, 2026, with India winning its third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Talking of which, this tournament has witnessed some of the most impressive player performances in history, and some players have won the “Player of the Tournament” award. Let’s discuss who has won this award from 2007 to 2026.
Sanju Samson Wins 2026 Player of the Tournament
With India’s third win in the Men’s T20 World Cup on Sunday night, Sanju Samson has the honor of receiving the “Player of the Tournament” award this year. Samson is a renowned wicketkeeper-batter and has joined the elite club that already has Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, and many others.
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Notably, he is the third Indian player to achieve this T20 World Cup milestone award. This happened as Samson scored an unbeaten 97 against the West Indies in a crucial Super Eight match, where a win was a necessity. Additionally, he made 89 runs each in the semifinal and the final.
Complete List of T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament Winners (2007–2026)
In the history of the “Player of the Tournament” award in the T20 World Cup, Indian-cricketer Virat Kohli is the only player who has won this achievement twice, i.e., 2014 and 2016. With Sanju Samson, India has gained four of these trophies in total.
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Here’s the complete list of the winners: –
| Year | Player | Team | Notable Performance |
| 2007 | Shahid Afridi | Pakistan | 12 wickets and 91 runs |
| 2009 | Tillakaratne Dilshan | Sri Lanka | 317 runs (Highest run-scorer) |
| 2010 | Kevin Pietersen | England | 248 runs; key role in England’s first title |
| 2012 | Shane Watson | Australia | 249 runs and 11 wickets |
| 2014 | Virat Kohli | India | 319 runs (Most runs in a single edition) |
| 2016 | Virat Kohli | India | 273 runs (Only 2-time winner) |
| 2021 | David Warner | Australia | 289 runs; instrumental in final chase |
| 2022 | Sam Curran | England | 13 wickets; POTM in the Final |
| 2024 | Jasprit Bumrah | India | 15 wickets at an economy of 4.17 |
| 2026 | Sanju Samson | India | 321 runs, including 89 in the Final |
Shahid Afridi (2007)
Pakistan’s all-rounder, Shahid Afridi, won the “Player of the Tournament” in 2007, becoming the inaugural winner of this award. He took 12 wickets with an impressive economy rate of 6.71. Additionally, he contributed 91 runs to the team, exhibiting great performance.
Tillakaratne Dilshan (2009)
Tillakaratne Dilshan won the award in 2009 after becoming the top run-scorer of the tournament. He made 317 runs at an average of 52.83, and led Sri Lanka to the final.
Kevin Pietersen (2010)
Kevin Pietersen became the backbone of England in the 2010 tournament, leading the team to their first-ever ICC trophy win. He scored 248 runs at an average of 62.00, including his vital 47 runs in the final against Australia.
Shane Watson (2012)
With his superb batting and bowling, Shane Watson won the “Player of the Tournament” in 2012. He became the tournament’s leading scorer with 249 runs, along with taking 11 wickets. This performance led him to win four consecutive Player of the Match awards.
Virat Kohli (2014 and 2016)
Virat Kohli had the honour of winning this award first in 2014, where he amassed a record 319 runs at a staggering average of 106.33. He made four half-centuries during this T20 World Cup.
He became the first and only player to win this award twice, since he was awarded with this again in 2016. He scored 273 runs in 5 innings with an average of 136.50.
David Warner (2021)
Like most winners of this award, David Warner also played a critical role in pivoting his team (Australia) to the T20 World Cup title. He scored an impressive 289 runs and had an aggressive start right from the beginning, winning the tournament’s prestigious award title.
Sam Curran (2022)
Sam Curran became the first-ever specialist bowler to win the “Player of the Tournament”. He took 13 wickets at an average of 11.38, winning the award in the 2022 tournament.
Jasprit Bumrah (2024)
Similar to his performance in the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, Jasprit Bumrah performed well in the 2024 tournament, winning the elite award. He took 15 wickets with an incredible economy of 4.17. He propelled the team India to their second title and also contributed significantly to their third.
Sanju Samson (2026)
As already mentioned, Samson topped the charts for the 2026 T20 World Cup. He scored 321 runs at an average of 80.25. Additionally, he has a strike rate of 199.38, capped off by a record-breaking 89 (46) in the tournament final against New Zealand.