Predicting The Next T20 World Cup Player Of The Tournament And Reflecting On Past Winners

The Player of the Tournament in the T20 World Cup is awarded for the best performance in a single edition, considering either batting, bowling, or all-round contributions.

In the T20 World Cup 2024, India and South Africa will face off in the final at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados on Saturday, June 29. Several candidates for the player of the tournament will be in action during this match.

Indian pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah (13 wickets), his pace bowling partner Arshdeep Singh (15 wickets), and skipper Rohit Sharma (248 runs) are strong contenders. South Africa's Anrich Nortje (13 wickets) and Kagiso Rabada (12 wickets) are also in the running.

Bumrah stands out due to his economical bowling combined with wicket-taking ability. Rohit Sharma could also be a favourite if he maintains his form and claims the top spot in the run-scorers chart. Arshdeep Singh has a chance to overtake Farooqi as the leading wicket-taker, making him another potential MVP candidate.

Pakistan's Shahid Afridi won the first-ever player of the tournament award in 2007 with an impressive bowling performance. Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan claimed the MVP title in 2009 due to his prolific run-scoring. England's Kevin Pietersen became the first player to win both the player of the tournament award and the T20 World Cup in 2010.

Australia's Shane Watson was notable for winning the award in 2012 despite his team not reaching the final. India's Virat Kohli is unique for winning twice: once as a runner-up in 2014 and again as a losing semi-finalist in 2016.

T20 World Cup Player of the Tournament Winners List

• 2007: Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) - 12 wickets
• 2009: Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka) - 317 runs
• 2010: Kevin Pietersen (England) - 248 runs
• 2012: Shane Watson (Australia) - 249 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

The recent editions have seen players from championship-winning teams bagging this prestigious award. Australia's David Warner and England's Sam Curran are among these recent winners.

The current leading run-scorer Rahmanullah Gurbaz and top wicket-taker Fazalhaq Farooqi are out following Afghanistan's exit in the semi-final. Despite their absence, other players remain strong contenders for this year's award.

The player of the tournament has historically been awarded to players from both winning and non-winning teams. Only three times out of eight editions has it gone to a player from a title-winning side, while five times it went to players from runner-up or losing semi-finalist teams.

This year’s final will determine who among these talented cricketers will clinch this coveted title based on their performances on June 29th.