India opener Sanju Samson has been named in the eight-player shortlist for the ICC T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament, the International Cricket Council announced on Friday.
The other nominees are England all-rounder Will Jacks, Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan, South Africa pacer Lungi Ngidi and captain Aiden Markram, New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra and wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert, and USA pacer Shadley van Schalkwyk.
Samson, who did not play in the early stages of the tournament, made an immediate impact after coming into the side with back-to-back player-of-the-match performances.
The opener struck a 42-ball 89 against England in the semifinals to help India secure a seven-run win on Thursday. Earlier, he had scored 97 off 50 balls against West Indies, laying the base for India’s five-wicket victory in what was effectively a knockout match.
The wicketkeeper-batter has scored 232 runs in four matches at an average of 77.33 and a strike rate of 201.73. England’s Will Jacks has scored 226 runs and taken nine wickets in eight matches.
He has also won four player-of-the-match awards during the tournament. Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has been among the top performers with the bat. He scored 383 runs in six innings, the most by a batter in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.
Farhan also became the first player to score two centuries in the same edition, reaching three figures against Sri Lanka and Namibia. South Africa pacer Lungi Ngidi has taken 12 wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of 7.19.
Proteas captain Aiden Markram has scored 286 runs in eight matches, including three half-centuries, and has also taken a wicket. New Zealand all-rounder Rachin Ravindra has scored 128 runs and taken 11 wickets in eight matches.
USA pacer Shadley van Schalkwyk claimed 13 wickets in four matches at an economy rate of 6.80, even though the United States exited after the group stage.
New Zealand wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert has scored 274 runs in eight matches and registered eight half-centuries. India will face New Zealand in the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
