T20 World Cup 2026: Sanju Samson bags this unique record
What's the story
Indian batter Sanju Samson was adjudged the Player of the Tournament for the 2026 ICC T20 World Cup. Samson starred with 50-plus knocks in each of India's last three knockouts, including the final. According to ESPNcricinfo, he became the first player to be adjudged the Player of the Tournament (ICC event) after missing multiple matches. Here are the key stats.
Journey
Rising from the ashes
Samson was in a downward spiral before the T20 World Cup. After a successful comeback, he lost his opening spot to Shubman Gill during the 2025 Asia Cup. He was then forced to bat in the middle order. Despite returning to the top, he faltered leading up to the T20 World Cup. Samson missed the first four matches before finally shutting his critics.
Knocks
50-plus scores in knockouts
Samson, who was earlier dropped from the Playing XI, played three back-to-back match-winning knocks. His scores read 97* against WI, 89 against England, and 89 against New Zealand. Samson became the third player to score a half-century in the semi-finals and finals of a T20 World Cup edition. He joined Shahid Afridi (in 2009) and Virat Kohli (in 2014).
Milestone
Samson tops this list
Samson played five of the team's nine matches in the 2026 T20 World Cup. He became the first player to be adjudged the Player of the Tournament (ICC event) after missing multiple matches. The other award winners missed one match each - Lisa Keightley (WODI WC 2000), Karen Rolton (WODI WC 2005), Kevin Pietersen (Men's T20 WC 2010), and Rachin Ravindra (Champions Trophy 2025).