Sanju Samson named among eight-man shortlist for T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament

Indian opening batter Sanju Samson has been named in the eight-man shortlist for the T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament announced by the ICC.

Although he did not start all matches for India, Samson has emerged as a key matchwinner, with Player of the Match performances against West Indies and England. His unbeaten 97 off 50 balls was the foundation of India’s chase of 196 in Kolkata against the West Indies, which put them in the semi-final of the tournament. He followed that up with a blistering 89 off 42 balls against England which helped India set a daunting 253. He has 232 runs at a blistering strike rate of 201.33, averaging 77.33 in his four innings in this tournament.

Samson joins England all-rounder Will Jacks, Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan, South African fast-bowler Lungi Ngidi and captain Aiden Markram, New Zealand's all-rounder Rachin Ravindra and wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert, and USA’s fast bowler Shadley van Schalkwyk as the other nominees.

Jacks was a vital cog in England’s run with bat and ball, scoring 226 runs in the back end of England’s innings, to go with his nine wickets in eight matches, being a constant a threat in the powerplay, and against left-handers.

Farhan was a revelation for Pakistan with 383 runs. He now holds the record for the most runs by a batter in a single T20 World Cup campaign. He also became the first player to score two centuries in a single edition.

South Africa skipper Markram was central to South Africa’s performance in this T20 World Cup, providing solid starts for the Proteas. His 286 runs came at a brisk strike rate of 165.31. Meanwhile, Ngidi’s 12 wickets were key in South Africa’s bowling innings and his economy of 7.19 showed that he contributed not just with wickets but also by controlling runs.

One would assume Ravindra’s name on these lists are for his contributions with the bat, but it is his left-arm-spin that has shone in this tournament. He picked up 11 wickets from eight matches, with a Player of the Match performance against Sri Lanka, picking up 4/24 and scoring 32 runs.

In just four matches, American fast-bowler van Schalkwyk claimed 13 wickets at a commendable economy of 6.80. He was a standout performer for an inspired USA side that narrowly missed the Super 8s.

Wicketkeeper-batter Seifert was the backbone of New Zealand’s batting. Opening the batting with the destructive Finn Allen, he amassed 274 runs at an average of 45.66 and strike rate of 161.17 with three half centuries.

The T20 World Cup has reached its last stage, as India play New Zealand in the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday, March 8.