3 min readMar 9, 2026 09:36 PM IST
Such was India’s dominance in the ICC T20 World Cup, especially towards the business end, that having four players in the team of the tournament potentially feels a bit short-changed.
Sanju Samson, Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan and Jasprit Bumrah found a place in the elite XII (including a 12th man) announced by the world body a day after the tournament. Maybe, left-arm spinner Axar Patel could also have a case in getting into the line-up.
No other team has more than two representatives in the line-up. Incidentally, runners-up New Zealand don’t have a single player in the team of the tournament, selected by former players Ian Bishop and Eoin Morgan, fellow commentator Natalie Germanos, ICC representative Gaurav Saxena and sports journalist Rex Clementine.
Samson and Kishan were not an integral part of the Indian plan a few months before the tournaments, but turned out to be match-winners at the top of the order. Pandya provided crucial balance to the side – providing late-order ballast while bowling crucial overs, often with the new ball. Bumrah was the talisman of the team, the code-breaker, who no opposition could deal with. He was the go-to man for skipper Suryakumar Yadav whenever things got tight.
Samson, who is also the nominated wicketkeeper, has been put at the top of the fictitious line-up with Pakistan’s Sahibzada Farhan, who ended as the top run-getter in the tournament with 383.
Kishan is placed at No.3 after scoring valuable and explosive runs throughout the tournament, including a half-century in the final.
He will be followed by South African skipper Aiden Markram, who will also captain this team. He scored three fifties in the tournament as his team reached the semifinals.
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Next comes Pandya, followed by Will Jacks, arguably the biggest reason for England reaching the last four and giving India a scare. Jason Holder completes the trio of quality all-rounders, coming in at No.7.
The tail seems a long one, but with the quality of firepower preceding them, this ‘dream team’ shouldn’t face any problems. Bumrah, the joint-highest wicket-taker in the tournament, was virtually unplayable in the tournament, providing an irresistible combination of wicket-taking threat and economy. His slower delivery is a thing of beauty.
Next comes South African Lungi Ngidi, one of the most consistent performers for the team, who also made batters struggle with his change of pace.
England leg-spinner Adil Rashid was right in the mix among the top-wicket-takers and comes ahead of tall Zimbabwean pacer Blessing Muzarabani, who impressed everyone in the tournament.
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The Associate Nations made their presence felt and often gave established teams a run for their money. It has been acknowledged by the United States’ Shadley van Schalkwyk being nominated the 12th man.
ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 Team of the Tournament
1. Sahibzada Farhan
2. Sanju Sansom (wicketkeeper)
3. Ishan Kishan
4. Aiden Markram (captain)
5. Hardik Pandya
6. Will Jacks
7. Jason Holder
8. Jasprit Bumrah
9. Lungi Ngidi
10. Adil Rashid
11. Blessing Muzarabani
12th player: Shadley van Schalkwyk
