The Men in Blue left the entire nation proud as they won the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. On March 8, 2026, the entire nation was bleeding blue, and people are not yet over the massive 6s and 4s hit by Indian batters, who piled up a score of 255 in 20 overs, setting 256 as a target for New Zealand. From the beginning, back-to-back wickets of the opponent teams, be it through Bumrah’s direct hit on the wicket or Ishan Kishan’s jaw-dropping catch, led NZ to end in 159 at the 20th over.
Thus, India won by 96 runs, leaving the entire nation the happiest. Sanju Samson was named the Man of the Tournament for the consistency he showed throughout the series, while Jasprit Bumrah gave only 15 runs in 4 overs in the final match, being the ‘Man of the Match’. But despite showing their skills, were these two players not given a cash prize? Let’s have a look!
Why were Jasprit Bumrah and Sanju Samson not given a cash prize even after being the Man of the Match and the Man of the Tournament?
While we have seen franchise leagues like the IPL provide individuals with massive cash prizes, in the ICC, it is not the case. ICC operates in a Prize Pool system, and as they believe that cricket is a team sport, all participating teams should be paid. This year, reportedly, India, the winning tournament, got Rs. 27.48 crore, while runner-up New Zealand had Rs. 14.65 crore as the prize money.
The semi-finalist teams got Rs. 7.24 crore each, super 8 teams had a budget of Rs. 3.48 crore each. Group stage participants got Rs. 2.29 crore. So, instead of offering huge cash prizes to any individual, the huge amount is directly sent to the national board, which then distributes the same to the players, coaches, and trainers.Â
The main aim is that ICC believes that winning a game is a team’s work, and everyone should be praised. Thus, instead of focusing on giving a prize to one individual, ICC keep the focus on the team winning the trophy and the World Champion title. While in games like IPL, there are several awards with names like ‘Gamechanger’ or ‘Powerhitter’. These awards are there because brands are willing to pay, and thus, awarding the player is mainly a commercial move to have their name mentioned. On the other hand, in a game like the T20 World Cup, it itself is so prestigious that it doesn’t need any giant commercial or brand to be added to bring visibility.
What does it mean for Sanju Samson and Jasprit Bumrah being the owners of massive titles?
Talking about the Player of the Tournament award, it itself is powerful as the player will get a buffed-up valuation in the IPL auction, and it will bring more multi-crore endorsement to the player, along with a Tier-one status, which ensures that the player remains in the highest salary bracket globally, thereby solidifying a long-term goal.
With Sanju Samson being the Player of the Tournament, it will definitely redefine his long-term career goals. Sanju made a massive 89 runs, and the way he played with his brains, hitting every shot with minute evaluation, he truly deserves a bow. Speaking of Bumrah, he is a national treasure. The bowling aura he started to show actually made him one of the GOATs of the modern era, and there’s no flinching saying that, even to his opponents.
Men in Blue have all over love, respect and blessings!
Also Read: Sanju Samson’s Wife, Charulatha Beams With Pride, Calls Him Her ‘Trophy’, Post India Won 2026 T20 WC
