\t\t<\/p>\n
Team India may not have played the ICC Men\u2019s T20 World Cup with their A-game throughout. Yet, they have etched their name in the history books with utter domination. Other teams can only imagine doing what India did in the final. They broke records for fun. The match was finished within the powerplay when Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma tore apart the New Zealand bowlers. <\/p>\n
It capped off a thrilling T20 World Cup that saw high drama, unreal action and some amazing moments. In fact, it was the T20 World Cup with the best-ever run rate (8.74). The previous best was the inaugural edition in 2007 that saw 7.99 runs getting scored per six balls. India have managed to clinch both of them. As far as this edition is concerned, it saw a total of 17,582 runs (the most) that came with the help of 86 fifties and seven unforgettable hundreds. <\/p>\n
As for the bowlers, they bowled a combined total of 12059<\/strong> balls, accumulating 700 wickets in total. 485 of them came as catch-outs. Behind all these stats, there were 281 players involved. However, only a handful of them had a defining T20 World Cup. On that note, Insidesport takes you to their \u201cbest XI\u201d of the tournament, featuring the incredible performers throughout the campaign.<\/p>\n As many as 12 players played nine (the most) games in this edition of the World Cup. Yet, despite playing almost half of those matches, Sanju Samson has ended up not just taking India over the line but with the \u201cPlayer of the Tournament\u201d prestige as well. His story of the World Cup is as fascinating as anyone\u2019s. He didn\u2019t start for India early on and it was only after troubles to Abhishek Sharma that paved Samson\u2019s way in. <\/p>\n And what does Samson do? He carved his own path. Not backing down against any bowler, Samson enjoyed his game and hammered the three best knocks of his career in the three most high-pressure games. In a virtual quarter-final against the West Indies, he scored 97* while chasing. In the semi-final against England, he racked up 89 (42) before smashing a heroic 89 (46) in the final. <\/p>\n \ud835\udc0f\ud835\udc25\ud835\udc1a\ud835\udc32\ud835\udc1e\ud835\udc2b \ud835\udc28\ud835\udc1f \ud835\udc2d\ud835\udc21\ud835\udc1e \ud835\udc13\ud835\udc28\ud835\udc2e\ud835\udc2b\ud835\udc27\ud835\udc1a\ud835\udc26\ud835\udc1e\ud835\udc27\ud835\udc2d. \ud835\udc00 \ud835\udc02\ud835\udc21\ud835\udc1e\ud835\udc2d\ud835\udc2d\ud835\udc1a \ud835\udc12\ud835\udc29\ud835\udc1e\ud835\udc1c\ud835\udc22\ud835\udc1a\ud835\udc25. \ud83e\udef6\ud83d\udc99 pic.twitter.com\/rmnG2wG3pi<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Mumbai Indians (@mipaltan) March 8, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n His partner is Sahibzada Farhan, who ended up as the highest run-getter of the tournament with 383 runs. While his position can be criticised by many, but Farhan did what was his role. He didn\u2019t set the stage alight but mustered runs when most of the Pakistani batters struggled. He smashed a couple of centuries, both in must-win games for Pakistan. His strike rate of 160 may be lower than what was going around in other teams but Pakistan banked on Farhan, who always delivered. Other opening candidates were Tim Seifert, Aiden Markram and Brian Bennett.<\/p>\n Just like Samson, there is a fairy tale story for Ishan Kishan as well, who wasn\u2019t even in the picture a couple of months ago. The left-hander amassed 317 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 193.29, delivering high-impact knocks across different phases of the campaign. Kishan started the tournament as an opener, hammering aggressive half-centuries against Namibia and Pakistan, before sliding down to No. 3 once Samson returned to the XI.<\/p>\n He tore into pace at a strike rate well above 200 but was equally comfortable dismantling spin. In the middle overs, his strike rate of over 210 was the best among all batters in the competition. Kishan also produced one of the defining innings of the final, smashing 54 off 25 balls to help India reach a record 255 despite going through a personal battle<\/a>. <\/p>\n Few middle-order batters brought as much raw power as Shimron Hetmyer. The West Indian finished with 248 runs in seven innings at a strike rate of 186.46 and an average above 41. While others may have scored more runs, Hetmyer had an extraordinary ability to accelerate. His highlight came against Zimbabwe, where he blasted 85 off just 34 deliveries in a brutal display of power hitting. Hetmyer was especially destructive against spin, smashing 15 sixes against slower bowlers, the most by any batter in the tournament. <\/p>\n Fittingly, all-rounders galore in a T20 World Cup. Every champion side needs a cricketer who delivers in big moments. For India, that man was Hardik Pandya. The all-rounder scored 217 runs in nine innings at a strike rate of 160.74 while also picking up nine wickets with the ball. <\/p>\n Pandya\u2019s real impact came in pressure situations. No one bowled more overs at the death than him in the tournament, and he still managed to keep his economy under ten during that phase. With the bat, he was equally destructive late in the innings, striking close to 190 in the final overs. His cameo of 27 off 12 balls against England and two great wickets in the defence were so underrated in the semi-final. <\/p>\n Meanwhile, Will Jacks was England\u2019s most valuable cricketer in the tournament. The all-rounder scored 226 runs at a strike rate of 176.56 while also picking up nine wickets with his off-spin. Few players influenced games in as many ways as Jacks did. He repeatedly rescued England from tricky positions with aggressive finishing knocks \u2014 including an unbeaten 53 against Italy and a stunning late assault to beat New Zealand. With the ball, he proved equally effective, particularly during the Super Eight stage where he picked up crucial wickets.<\/p>\n Now a man who is slowly becoming a clutch player in his own right, Shivam Dube. Dube scored 235 runs at a strike rate of 169.06 while also picking up five wickets with the ball. What stood out most was the situations he walked into. Against Pakistan, he smashed 27 off 17 balls after India lost wickets in quick succession. <\/p>\n Against the Netherlands, he produced a superb 66 off 31 when India were struggling at 69 for 3. In the must-win game against WI, his two boundaries were extremely helpful<\/a>. In the semifinal, he dismantled Adil Rashid with a brutal assault before finishing India\u2019s innings strongly in the final. Dube was the ultimate impact player throughout the tournament.<\/p>\n Jason Holder might not have grabbed the same headlines as some of the big hitters, but his contribution across departments makes him an easy inclusion in this XI. The West Indies all-rounder picked up 10 wickets in seven matches while also scoring 141 runs at a strike rate of over 174.<\/p>\n Holder\u2019s wickets mostly came during the group stage, where he proved too hot to handle for Scotland and Nepal. With the bat, Holder turned up whenever West Indies needed a late push. He smashed 33 off 17 against England, played a rescue act of 49 off 31 versus South Africa, and then struck an unbeaten 37 off 22 against India to keep his side in the hunt. <\/p>\n Now comes the player who is out of this world. He plays in the T20 World Cup like it is some sort of a corporate league. There is not much analysis needed when it comes to Jasprit Bumrah. He simply does things other bowlers can\u2019t. In a tournament where batters were scoring at a record rate of 8.74 runs per over, Bumrah went the other way. He picked up 14 wickets <\/strong>in eight matches while conceding just 6.21 <\/strong>runs an over. That alone tells you how absurdly good he was.<\/p>\n Bumrah was effective in every phase of the innings, whether it was swinging the new ball, controlling the middle overs or delivering deadly yorkers at the death. His spell in the semifinal against England turned the game when India were under pressure. He then capped off the tournament with a four-wicket performance in the final, proving once again why he remains the most complete fast bowler<\/a> in T20 cricket.<\/p>\n South Africa\u2019s Lungi Ngidi was one of the most underrated pacers of the tournament. He picked up 12 wickets in seven matches at an economy rate of just 7.19 while consistently troubling batters with his variations. Ngidi began his campaign with a superb four-wicket haul against Canada and followed it with another three-wicket performance against Afghanistan. His slower-ball variations proved extremely difficult to pick, making him a constant threat even on a batting-friendly surface. India didn\u2019t have any answers against him, either. <\/p>\n Adil Rashid takes the specialist spinner\u2019s slot in this XI after another impressive global tournament. The England leg-spinner picked up 13 wickets in eight matches while maintaining an economy rate of 8.15. He is ageing like a fine wine. Rashid\u2019s control through the middle overs played a huge role in England\u2019s progress deep into the tournament. His spell against West Indies at the Wankhede, where he conceded just 16 runs while picking two wickets, was among the standout bowling performances of the event.<\/p>\n And guiding this imaginary Team of the Tournament from the dugout would be none other than Gautam Gambhir. He has become the first individual ever to win a T20 World Cup both as a player and as a head coach. <\/p>\n \t\t<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/d16f573ilcot6q.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/India-T20-World-Cup-trophy.webp\"\/)
<\/p><\/div>\nBest XI of T20 World Cup 2026<\/h2>\n
Openers: Sanju Samson, Sahibzada Farhan<\/h3>\n
\n
![](\"https:\/\/d16f573ilcot6q.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Sanju-Samson.webp\")
<\/p><\/div>\nMiddle-order: Ishan Kishan, Shimron Hetmyer <\/h3>\n
All-rounders: Pandya, Jacks, Dube, Holder<\/h3>\n
![](\"https:\/\/d16f573ilcot6q.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/India-T20-WC-trophy.webp\")
<\/p><\/div>\nPacers: Holder, Bumrah, and Ngidi<\/h3>\n
Spinner: Adil Rashid<\/h3>\n
Team of the Tournament for ICC Men\u2019s T20 World Cup 2026<\/h2>\n
\n\n
\n \nPlayer<\/th>\n Country<\/th>\n Matches<\/th>\n Runs<\/th>\n Strike Rate<\/th>\n Wickets<\/th>\n Economy<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n \n Sanju Samson<\/strong><\/td>\n India<\/td>\n 5<\/td>\n 321<\/td>\n 199.37<\/td>\n \u2014<\/td>\n \u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Sahibzada Farhan<\/strong><\/td>\n Pakistan<\/td>\n 7<\/td>\n 383<\/td>\n 160.25<\/td>\n \u2014<\/td>\n \u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Ishan Kishan<\/strong><\/td>\n India<\/td>\n 9<\/td>\n 317<\/td>\n 193.29<\/td>\n \u2014<\/td>\n \u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Shimron Hetmyer<\/strong><\/td>\n West Indies<\/td>\n 7<\/td>\n 248<\/td>\n 186.46<\/td>\n \u2014<\/td>\n \u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Hardik Pandya<\/strong><\/td>\n India<\/td>\n 9<\/td>\n 217<\/td>\n 160.74<\/td>\n 9<\/td>\n 8.81<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Will Jacks<\/strong><\/td>\n England<\/td>\n 8<\/td>\n 226<\/td>\n 176.56<\/td>\n 9<\/td>\n 9.75<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Shivam Dube<\/strong><\/td>\n India<\/td>\n 9<\/td>\n 235<\/td>\n 169.06<\/td>\n 5<\/td>\n 14.12<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Jason Holder<\/strong><\/td>\n West Indies<\/td>\n 7<\/td>\n 141\u00a0<\/td>\n 174.07<\/td>\n 10\u00a0<\/td>\n 8.86\u00a0<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Jasprit Bumrah<\/strong><\/td>\n India<\/td>\n 8<\/td>\n \u2014<\/td>\n \u2014<\/td>\n 14<\/strong><\/td>\n 6.21<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Adil Rashid<\/strong><\/td>\n England<\/td>\n 8<\/td>\n \u2014<\/td>\n \u2014<\/td>\n 13<\/strong><\/td>\n 8.15<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Lungi Ngidi<\/strong><\/td>\n South Africa<\/td>\n 7<\/td>\n \u2014<\/td>\n \u2014<\/td>\n 12<\/strong><\/td>\n 7.19<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>
![\"Sanju](\"https:\/\/d16f573ilcot6q.cloudfront.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Sanju-Samson-416x234.webp\")
<\/p>\n