DUBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Monday announced its squad of the tournament for the T20 World Cup 2026, with Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan among the standouts named in the line-up.
The site was selected by a distinguished panel of experts comprising West Indies great Ian Bishop, former England captain Eoin Morgan, coach-turned-commentator Natalie Germanos, ICC representative Gaurav Saxena and senior Sri Lankan sports journalist Rex Clementine.
Despite Pakistan’s inconsistent campaign, which ended at the Super Eight stage, opener Farhan was a model of consistency.
His remarkable tally of 383 runs across seven matches set a new record for most runs by a batsman in a single edition of the T20 World Cup.
The 29-year-old also created history by becoming the first player to score two centuries in a T20 World Cup. His magnificent hundred against Sri Lanka in the last Super Eight clash was the cornerstone of a crucial five-run victory for his team.
Sanju Samson proved instrumental in India’s triumphant campaign and was deservedly named the player of the tournament. Initially unable to break into the star-studded Indian starting XI, Samson grabbed his opportunity spectacularly when it mattered most.
The right-hander ignited his run with a blistering unbeaten 97 against the West Indies in a virtual knockout Super Eight clash.
He maintained his sublime form with 89 against England in the semi-final and followed it up with another crucial 89 in the final against New Zealand.
In doing so, he became only the third batsman to register half-centuries in both the semi-final and final of a T20 World Cup, and just the second to achieve three consecutive scores of 80 or more in the tournament’s history.
Ishan Kishan made a strong impression with his relentless aggression at the top of the order. His three half-centuries were standout contributions, but he also provided important quickfire knocks of 38 against Zimbabwe and 39 against England.
However, his best performance came against arch-rivals Pakistan. After India lost an early wicket while batting first, Kishan took charge with a breathtaking 77 off just 40 balls, an innings of ten fours and three sixes.
After spending two years on the sidelines, Kishan’s redemption arc was complete as he contributed a vital 54 and took two crucial catches in the final.
Aiden Markram led South Africa admirably as they won their first seven matches of the tournament. Opening the batting, he never shirked responsibility and scored three half-centuries.
He was particularly effective in Ahmedabad, hitting an unbeaten 86 in a key group stage win over New Zealand and another unbeaten 82 against the West Indies in the Super Eights.
In the match against India, Markram also led with the ball, making the crucial breakthrough by dismissing Kishan in his very first over.
Although the Proteas fell short in the semi-final, Markram’s captaincy and handling of a talented bowling attack was very impressive.
For several years, Hardik Pandya has been crucial to India’s success with his ability to change a game with either bat or ball. He continued that rich form at the World Cup, amassing 217 runs and claiming nine wickets.
Pandya scored two half-centuries, the second a whirlwind 50 off just 23 balls against Zimbabwe, which left India 256 for 4 – the highest team total in the 2026 tournament and just four runs short of the all-time T20 World Cup record.
With the ball, his best figures came at 2 for 16 in three crucial overs against Pakistan. Opening the bowling, Pandya removed the opposition’s biggest threat, Farhan, for a duck and later bowled Usman Tariq to end the innings.
The tournament served as a breakout moment for Will Jacks, who established himself as one of the premier all-rounders on display.
After dropping down the order, Jacks perfected the role of finisher. His best score was an unbeaten 53 against Italy, but he also played an important role against India, hitting an unbeaten 32 against New Zealand to guide his team to an unlikely victory in the final Super Eight match.
The off-spinner also registered a three-wicket haul in the Super Eight clash against Sri Lanka, setting up a convincing 51-run victory. Jacks’ four Player of the Match awards drew him level with Shane Watson for most such honors at a T20 World Cup.
Jason Holder was a fearsome fast bowler and a powerful lower-order batsman, one of the stars of the tournament.
His all-round prowess was on full display in the Super Eight clash against India, where he took 2 for 38 and scored a crucial 37 not out from 22 balls, albeit in a losing cause against the co-hosts.
The 6’7″ pacer used his height to extract bounce on even the flattest of pitches and ran riot against Nepal at the Wankhede Stadium. Holder claimed 4 for 27, removing three of the top five, to set up a dominant nine-wicket win.
While India’s batting line-up is formidable, it is Jasprit Bumrah who elevates the team above the rest. At the 2026 World Cup, he finished as the joint highest wicket-taker with teammate Varun Chakaravarthy.
He saved his best for last, claiming 4 for 15 in the final against New Zealand to win the player of the match award.
Apart from just taking timely wickets, it is Bumrah’s ability to disrupt an opponent’s batting rhythm that sets him apart. His laser-guided accuracy and death-over yorkers turn his spells into pressure-cooker moments.
During the semi-final against England, he took just one wicket, but his 18th over, which conceded just six runs, proved decisive.
In a match that saw a total of 499 runs, Bumrah’s economy rate of 8.25 was the best of either side and arguably the reason England fell seven runs short.
Lungi Ngidi was one of the leading fast bowlers of the tournament. He started with impressive figures of 4 for 31 against Canada and added two more three-wicket hauls.
Against India, he might have gone wicketless, but his 4-over spell, conceding just 15 runs, was crucial in helping South Africa contain India’s formidable batting line-up.
Ngidi used his experience, variations and slower balls to great effect on largely batter-friendly pitches.
Adil Rashid is the only specialist spinner selected in the team. He used the conditions wisely, especially in Sri Lanka, to help England win six of their first seven matches.
While his best figures were 3 for 36 against Scotland, Rashid played a crucial role in the Super Eight wins over Sri Lanka and New Zealand. After England were restricted to 146 for 9 by Sri Lanka, the leg-spinner engineered a home team collapse with figures of 2 for 13 in 3.4 overs.
Against India, he operated in damage control mode and claimed the key wickets of Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav to finish with 2 for 41.
Blessing of Muzarabani was central to Zimbabwe’s dream run. After missing out on the 2024 edition, Zimbabwe produced their best ever performance and reached the Super Eights.
They announced their arrival with a 23-run win over Australia, a match in which Muzarabani claimed superb figures of 4 for 17, dismissing the Aussies for 146.
In the group stage, the pacer took nine wickets in just three matches as his team finished top of Group B.
Saurabh Netravalkar of USA was arguably the best bowler in the group stage. While the USA could not replicate their 2024 heroics and progress to the Super Eights, Netravalkar was in a league of its own.
He began with a four-wicket haul against India, leaving the co-hosts in trouble at 77 for 6 before recovering. He followed it up with another brilliant performance, claiming identical figures of 4 for 25 against Pakistan.
ICC T20 World Cup 2026 Team of the Tournament: Sahibzada Farhan, Ishan Kishan, Sanju Samson (wk), Aiden Markram (c), Hardik Pandya, Will Jacks, Jason Holder, Adil Rashid, Jasprit Bumrah, Lungi Ngidi and Blessing Muzarabani.
12th man: Saurabh Netravalkar.
