Watch: Adil Rashid explains why Sanju Samson deserved ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Player of the Tournament

India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson was named Player of the Tournament for scoring three fifties in a row: against West Indies in the Super 8s, England in the semi-final, and New Zealand in the final. Sanju could have scored a century in each match, but got out trying to hit a boundary. He scored 89 against England and New Zealand and finished 97 not out against the West Indies.

Addressing this matter, England spinner Adil Rashid said Sanju Samson deserved the Player of the Tournament award in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026. Rashid said Samson performed well when it mattered and helped India win important matches.

A video is going viral on social media where Adil Rashid praises Sanju Samson for his performance in the World Cup.

Watch the video here: 

Sanju Samson’s Impact in the ICC T20 World Cup 2026

Adil Rashid said Sanju Samson played three important innings in a row and performed strongly in the knockout matches. The wicket-keeper batsman also played a match-winning innings in both the semi-final and the final. His batting helped Team India in the most important moments of the tournament.

Rashid noted that some players, like Sahibzada Farhan, scored more runs overall. But Samson’s performance in the knockout matches made a bigger difference. Because of his strong performances under pressure, Rashid believes Samson was the clear choice for the Player of the Tournament award.

Samson played only five matches and scored 321 runs. He broke Virat Kohli’s record for most runs in a single edition of the tournament and became the third-highest scorer, after Sahibzada Farhan and Tim Seifert.

T20 World Cup 2026 awards list at a glance: 

1. Player of the Tournament - Sanju Samson (India)
2. Player of the Match (Final) - Jasprit Bumrah (India)
3. Most Runs (383) - Shaibzada Farhan (Pakistan)
4. Most Wickets (14) - Jasprit Bumrah and Varun Chakaravarthy (India)
5. Highest Individual Score (110) - Yuvraj Samra (Canada)
6. Most Sixes (24) - Sanju Samson (India)
7. Best Bowling (5/20) - Roamrio Shepherd (West Indies)