The ICC T20 World Cup has produced some unforgettable moments, where there have been individual as well as team performances. But some players rose above the rest to dominate the entire tournament with their match-winning moments, thus being honoured as the Player of the Tournament.
The award, which usually recognises sustained excellence – be it consistency, impact and the ability to influence games. Over these years, a select group of players have earned the honour of Player of the Tournament, delivering standout performances with the bat, ball or even a complete performance. In this article, we have looked back at all Player of the Tournament winners in T20 World Cup history.
Player of the Tournaments in T20 World Cup from 2007 till 2024
Since the inaugural edition of the T20 World Cup in 2007, the tournament has seen several new faces who have emerged for this award. With India taking the maiden title in 2007, it was Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi who stood apart, picking 12 wickets across the competition, followed by TM Dilshan of Sri Lanka being honoured in the next edition in 2009.
Apart from these, Kevin Pietersen, Shane Watson, David Warner, and Sam Curran are prominent figures who have won it across different editions.
For India, Virat Kohli remains the only player to win the Player of the Tournament twice thus far. He bagged the award in 2014 and 2016 even though India failed to lift the title. Kohli scored 319 runs in T20 World Cup 2014 and followed it up with 273 runs in 2016. Jasprit Bumrah was the hero in T20 World Cup 2024 as India ended their ICC trophy drought, lifting the title. Bumrah was exceptional, bagging 15 wickets at an economy rate of just 4.17 in eight games.
| Edition | Player | Team | Runs/Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Shahid Afridi | Pakistan | 12 wickets & 91 runs |
| 2009 | Tillakaratne Dilshan | Sri Lanka | 317 runs |
| 2010 | Kevin Pietersen | England | 248 runs |
| 2012 | Shane Watson | Australia | 244 runs & 11 wickets |
| 2014 | Virat Kohli | India | 319 runs |
| 2016 | Virat Kohli | India | 273 runs |
| 2021 | David Warner | Australia | 289 runs |
| 2022 | Sam Curran | England | 13 wickets |
| 2024 | Jasprit Bumrah | India | 15 wickets |
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