Sanju Samson and Jasprit Bumrah Headline ICC Men’s Player of the Month Shortlist for March 2026

The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the Men’s Player of the Month shortlist for March 2026, featuring Indian cricketers Sanju Samson and Jasprit Bumrah alongside South African batter Connor Esterhuizen. The nominations follow India’s successful T20 World Cup title defense.

Indian Stars Dominate Following T20 World Cup Victory

Samson secured his nomination through aggressive top-order batting during the knockout stages. Following his insertion into the playing XI during the Super Eights, the wicketkeeper-batter recorded scores of 97, 89, and 89 in consecutive elimination fixtures. He accumulated 275 runs across three matches at an average of 137.50 and a strike rate approaching 200, securing the Player of the Tournament honors.

Bumrah anchored the Indian bowling attack throughout the tournament’s closing stages. He restricted run-scoring in the semifinal and registered figures of four wickets for 15 runs in the final. Over his last three tournament appearances, Bumrah took seven wickets and won the Player of the Match award in the title game.

Connor Esterhuizen Emerges as South African Challenger

Esterhuizen represents the sole non-Indian nominee for March. The South African batter scored 200 runs across a five-match T20 International series against New Zealand. His performance included a maiden half-century and an unbeaten 75 in the series decider, leading South Africa to a 3-2 series victory. Esterhuizen earned two Player of the Match awards during the bilateral series.

March 2026 Nominee Statistics