Player Of The Tournament in T20 World Cup: The Player of the tournament award will be awarded to the player who has excelled throughout the entire tournament with bat/ball or with both bat and ball.
ICC uses to honour such outperformed players during the post-presentation event of the tournament’s final.
Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi becomes the first player to bag the ICC T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament Award. Indian run machine Virat Kohli is the only player to bag the T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament Award in two consecutive years.
Virat Kohli also holds another record by being the player to score the most runs in a single season of the ICC T20 world Cup since 2007. Virat’s 319 runs in the 2014 edition remain the highest run scored by a player in a single season.
Player Of The Tournament in T20 World Cup
Shahid Afridi(Pakistan) and Shane Watson(Australia) are the only players to bag the Player Of The Tournament in T20 World Cup as an all-rounder.
Following are the list of Player Of The Tournament in T20 World Cup since 2007:
| Year | Player | Stats |
| 2022 | To Be Announced | To Be Announced |
| 2021 | David Warner | 289 runs |
| 2016 | Virat Kohli | 273 runs |
| 2014 | Virat Kohli | 319 runs |
| 2012 | Shane Watson |
249 runs and 11 wickets
|
| 2010 | Kevin Pieterson | 248 runs |
| 2009 | Tillakaratne Dilshan | 317 runs |
| 2007 | Shahid Afridi |
12 wickets and 91 runs
|
David Warner(Australia) – 2021
Australian opening batter David Warner has won the Player Of The Tournament in T20 World Cup 2021 for scoring 289 runs in seven matches at 48.16. He struck at 146.70 and notched up three half-centuries.
Warner was the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament (behind Babar Azam). Out of his three half-centuries, one came against New Zealand in the final match during Australia’s chase down of 173 runs.
Virat Kohli(India) – 2016
Virat Kohli is the only batter to bag the Player Of The Tournament in T20 World Cup for more than one time. Virat also holds the record for winning back-to-back T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament Awards.
Kohli played five matches in the T20 World Cup 2016 and scored 273 runs. Those runs came at a stunning average of 136.50, while he also improved his strike rate from the previous edition (146.77).
He scored three half-centuries, with knocks of 89* against West Indies and 82* against Australia being the highlights. The knock against Australia, in particular, was crucial, the batter single-handedly taking India through in a difficult chase in the quarter-finals.
India would fall short in the semis, losing to eventual champions West Indies in the semis.
Virat Kohli(India) – 2014
The Indian batting star was at his peak during the 2014 edition of the tournament in Bangladesh.
Virat – the run machine has scored 319 runs in only six games. His runs came at a staggering average of 106.33 and a strike rate of 129.14. Kohli also scored four half-centuries in the tournament.
Though Virat shines with the bat, India fails to lay their hand on the T20 World Cup as they were beaten by Sri Lanka in the final, clinching their maiden T20 World Cup triumph.
Shane Watson(Australia) – 2012
Australian opening batter Shane Watson scored 249 runs in six matches at an average of 49.80 and a strike rate of 150 which includes three half-centuries.
Notably, the Australian all-rounder ended the tournament as the highest run-scorer and the second-highest wicket-taker. Watson scalped up 11 wickets at an average of 16 and an economy of 6.83.
His destructive performance could only help Australia reach the semifinals, where they fell short against West Indies and were eliminated from the tournament.
Kevin Pietersen(England) – 2010
The ICC T20 World Cup 2010 in the Caribbean saw the England batter Kevin Pietersen at close to his peak.
Kevin Pietersen was the second-highest run-scorer in the tournament, scoring 248 runs in six matches at an average of 62. Pietersen scored at a healthy strike rate of 137.77 throughout the tournament, while also notching up two half-centuries.
Pietersen made a crucial contribution of 47 in the final against Australia as England won their first World Cup trophy.
Tillakaratne Dilshan(Sri Lanka) – 2009
Sri Lanka’s Tillakaratne Dilshan was considered the most fearsome and destructive batter during the ICC T20 World Cup 2009 in England.
Opening the batting, Dilshan breaks the moral strength of every bowler he faced during the tournament. The ‘Dilscoop’ – his trademark scoop shot, was the talk of the town during the tournament.
Dilshan ended it as the leading run-scorer, with 317 runs in seven matches. His runs came at a healthy average of 52.83 and a strike rate of 144.74. Dilshan scored three half-centuries in the tournament, with his best score of 96* coming against West Indies in the sem-final.
Shahid Afridi(Pakistan) – 2007
Though Pakistan lost the final match by just 5 runs to India, Shahid Afridi was named the player of the tournament for the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup 2022 in South Africa.
Afridi was the fourth-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, picking up 12 scalps at 15.66. Afridi also scored 91 runs in 7 matches, with a high score of 46. Shahid Afridi‘s best performance came against Scotland, with figures of 4/19.
His performances helped Pakistan make it to the final, where they were beaten by arch-rivals India in a late thriller.
Who is the highest run scorer of the T20 World Cup?
Sri Lanka’s Mahela Jayawardene is the player to score the most runs in ICC T20 World Cup. Jayawardene scored 1016 runs at an average of 39.07 which includes 1 century and 6 half-centuries.
