NewKerala.com

Samson, Bumrah, Esterhuizen Vie for ICC Men's Player of the Month Award

Indian stars Sanju Samson and Jasprit Bumrah, along with South Africa's Connor Esterhuizen, have been nominated for the ICC Men's Player of the Month for March 2026. Samson's remarkable batting, including key knocks in the T20 World Cup semi-final and final, earned him the Player of the Tournament award. Bumrah was instrumental with the ball in India's title defense, delivering crucial spells in the knockout stages. Esterhuizen shined in a T20I series against New Zealand, scoring 200 runs to secure a series win for South Africa.

Key Points: ICC Player of the Month Nominees: Samson, Bumrah, Esterhuizen

  • Samson's dramatic T20 World Cup heroics
  • Bumrah's decisive bowling in knockouts
  • Esterhuizen's series-winning performance vs NZ
  • All three nominees delivered match-winning efforts
2 min read

Samson, Bumrah and Esterhuizen nominated for ICC Men's Player of the Month honour

Sanju Samson, Jasprit Bumrah, and Connor Esterhuizen are nominated for the ICC Men's Player of the Month award for March 2026.

"His efforts helped India retain the title on home soil, as Samson clinched the Player of the Tournament award."

New Delhi, April 6

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

Share this article:

Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Bumrah is a magician. In a high-scoring era, his economy of 7 in the knockouts is pure gold. He wins matches single-handedly. The award should go to him, no doubt.
A
Aman W
Respect to Esterhuizen for his performance, but honestly, how can you look past an Indian player winning the World Cup at home? Samson or Bumrah deserve it more based on the stage and pressure.
S
Sarah B
Great to see wicketkeepers getting recognition! Samson's consistency in the biggest games was amazing. Hope this nomination silences his critics for good.
V
Vikram M
While I'm thrilled for our players, I do feel the ICC sometimes focuses too much on the last few matches. What about consistent performers throughout the year? Just a thought.
K
Karthik V
That final in Ahmedabad was epic! Bumrah's spell broke the Kiwi batting. The whole country celebrated that night. What a tournament! 🎉

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50