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Player of the Tournament Winners in T20 World Cup History

Being adjudged the Player of the Match in a T20 World Cup match is meant to be a huge roar for any player, and over the years, many have achieved that feat. But to continue that golden run of one match throughout the tournament has been done only by a handful of players to date. Only a few have upheld their high standards through the tournament to eventually take home the Player of the Tournament trophy. In the T20 World Cup 2021, you can also win huge prizes, like Players of the Tournament do, by playing fantasy cricket on the best fantasy cricket app Howzat. Howzat allows you to join a fantasy cricket game with up to 40 teams. 

So let’s take a look at all the past winners of the Player of the Tournament award in the T20 World Cup. 

1) Shahid Afridi (2007)

“Boom Boom” Afridi was adjudged the Player of the Tournament in the first-ever edition of the T20 World Cup, which was played in 2007. He had a lot of competition that year in the form of Yuvraj Singh, Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, and Shoaib Malik, but came out to be the chosen one with the most votes in his bag. Afridi shared the second spot on the list of highest wicket takers, alongside Stuart Clark and RP Singh, by taking 12 wickets. Apart from that, he also turned out to be a handy batter as he made sure to contribute whenever his team required runs from him. 

2) Tilakaratne Dilshan (2009)

Tilakaratne Dilshan was on fire throughout the 2009 edition of the tournament. He smashed 317 runs in seven innings including his highest score of 96*, which came against the West Indies. Despite the English grounds having long boundaries, Dilshan managed to score three 50+ scores and smashed 46 boundaries and 3 sixes throughout the tournament. The right-handed Sri Lankan opener gave everything he had to take his team home in the final but the team eventually lost to Pakistan at Lord’s. 

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3) Kevin Pieterson (2010)

England won the T20 World Cup in the 2010 edition and one of the key contributors to the win was their star batter Kevin Pietersen. Pietersen thrashed 248 runs in the six matches he played, at an average of 62 and a strike rate of 137, including 2 half centuries. He was adjudged the Player of the Tournament for his consistent exploits.

4) Shane Watson (2012)

The Australian all-rounder was on a roll in the 2012 edition of the T20 World Cup. Watson smashed 249 runs in six innings at a strike rate of 150, which consisted of three 50+ scores. Alongside being the highest run getter, he also managed to be the second-highest wicket taker in the tournament by scalping 11 wickets. But his charm was restricted only till the semi-finals as Australia lost the match to the West Indies, who eventually went on to lift the trophy by defeating Sri Lanka in the final. 

5) Virat Kohli (2014)

Virat Kohli had a tremendous 2014 T20 World Cup, where he carried Team India almost single-handedly to the final. He finished as the top run scorer in the tournament, with 319 runs in six games at an average of 106.33, scoring 4 half centuries in the process. He tried his best to rescue India in the final too, but it wasn’t enough as Sri Lanka chased down the score easily.

6) Virat Kohli (2016)

Virat Kohli showed his excellence yet again in the 2016 T20 World Cup but failed to get his team to reach the final after losing the semi-final to the West Indies. Kohli finished as the second-highest run getter in the tournament, with 273 runs in five games at a sensational average of 136.50. He scored 3 half centuries in the tournament and was dismissed just twice in the five innings he played, which earned him his second Player of the Tournament award in T20 World Cups.

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We hope another Indian star gets added to the list in the T20 World Cup 2021. You too can be a part of all the cricketing action in the World Cup right from the comfort of your home. Play fantasy cricket online on Howzat and compete with real opponents from across the country to win unbelievable cash prizes. Happy gaming!