New Delhi: India wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, ace fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah and South Africa batter Connor Esterhuizen have been nominated for the ICC Men’s Player of the Month award for March 2026.
Samson, who began the 2026 Men’s T20 World Cup watching from the sidelines, wrote one of the tournament’s most dramatic personal arcs once handed an opportunity to be in the team since the Super Eights clash against Zimbabwe in Chennai.
He struck an unforgettable 97 not out against the West Indies in a must-win Super Eights fixture in Kolkata before hitting scores of 89 each in the semi-final against England in Mumbai and in the final against New Zealand in Ahmedabad. His efforts helped India retain the title on home soil, as Samson clinched the Player of the Tournament award.
Bumrah, meanwhile, was central to every knockout victory India got on their way to win the title. In a semifinal where most bowlers conceded more than 9.50 runs per over against England, Bumrah was at his best to pick 1-31 – with his tight 16th and 18th overs proving decisive as England fell seven runs short in the chase.
He then produced a four-wicket haul, conceding just 15 runs in four overs in the final against New Zealand to earn the Player of the Match award at his home ground. In all, Bumrah picked seven wickets at an average of 12 and an economy rate of 7 in India’s last three games of the competition.
After the T20 World Cup was over, Esterhuizen shone by scoring 200 runs across five matches for South Africa against New Zealand, registering his first T20I fifty in the fourth game before hammering an unbeaten 75 off 33 deliveries in the decisive fifth game to seal a 3-2 series win.
He collected two Player of the Match awards and reached 39th position in the men’s T20I batting rankings with 551 rating points to go, the fourth-best by any South African batter after five matches.
(IANS)
