Will Jacks didn't just win a game for England, he etched his name into the history books. By securing his fourth Player of the Match (POTM) award of the 2026
T20 World Cup, Jacks has officially equaled the all-time record set by Australian legend Shane Watson in 2012.
England's chase of 160 against New Zealand looked dead and buried when they slumped to 2/2 within the first eight balls, losing both Jos Buttler and Phil Salt. As the required rate climbed on a sluggish Colombo surface, Jacks stepped up.
After claiming vital wickets of Finn Allen and the dangerous Glenn Phillips earlier with the ball (2/23), Jacks arrived at the crease with England reeling. He anchored the back end of the chase with a composed, unbeaten 32 off 18 balls. Alongside Rehan Ahmed's late cameo, Jacks smashed a decisive six off Glenn Phillips to shift the momentum, eventually finishing the match with a boundary to keep England's semi-final momentum rolling and Pakistan's hopes alive.
The Elite List: Most POTM Awards in a Single Edition of T20 World Cups
4 - Shane Watson in 2012
4 - Will Jacks in 2026
3 - Sikandar Raza in 2022
Until today, Shane Watson's 2012 campaign was considered the greatest individual run in tournament history. Sikandar Raza's 2022 miracle run for Zimbabwe saw him collect three awards, but Jacks has now surpassed the Zimbabwean and stands shoulder-to-shoulder with "Watto. "
Jacks, who is part of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2026, has thus joined an ex-RCB player in Watson.
Will Jacks POTMs in T20 World Cup 2026
vs. Nepal (Mumbai): A whirlwind 39 (18)* featuring three sixes in the final over to rescue England's total, followed by 1/17 with the ball.
vs. Italy (Kolkata): A brutal 53 (22) that propelled England past 200, complemented by the crucial wicket of a set Italian batter (1/34).
vs. Sri Lanka (Kandy): Broke the back of the Lankan chase with career-best figures of 3/22, after a quick-fire 21 (14) at the top.
vs. New Zealand (Colombo): The record-equaler. Controlled the middle overs with 2/23 and guided a nervy chase with a match-winning 32*.
With the semi-finals approaching, Jacks has a golden opportunity to do what even Shane Watson couldn't: claim a fifth POTM award and stand alone as the greatest single-edition performer in T20 history.
![[WATCH]: T20 World Cup 2026: Hilarious anthem blunder leaves England-New Zealand players in splits before Super 8 clash](https://g-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/dynamic/720x1280/603eb85fbc5ef4cb066401f85594a88d72f731c1.webp)










![[WATCH]: T20 World Cup 2026: Hilarious anthem blunder leaves England-New Zealand players in splits before Super 8 clash](https://g-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/fc/image/zjyEhlUK9dW0.webp)


