Will Jacks Rewrites T20 World Cup Record Books, Equals Shane Watson

Will Jacks [Source: AFP]

On Friday, England all-rounder Will Jacks created history in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Notably, he matched a long-standing world record held by Australian legend Shane Watson. With his latest performance against New Zealand, Will Jacks became only the second player ever to win four Player of the Match (POTM) awards in a single edition of the tournament.

Watson first achieved this remarkable record during the 2012 T20 World Cup. In that tournament, he was outstanding with both bat and ball. 

He scored 249 runs, which made him the leading run-scorer, and he also picked up 11 wickets, becoming the second-highest wicket-taker. Since then, no player had been able to equal his record, until now.

Will Jacks’ match-winning performance against New Zealand

It is important to note that Will Jacks reached this milestone during England’s Super 8 clash against New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium in Colombo. 

First, he made an impact with the ball by taking two important wickets and finishing with figures of 2/23. Then, while chasing a challenging target, he played a calm and unbeaten knock of 32 runs to guide England to victory.

As a result, England secured a crucial four-wicket win in a high-pressure game. After receiving his fourth POTM award, Will Jacks said it was the best one so far because of the pressure situation. He said,

"I reckon this is the best (of his four POTM awards). Absolutely buzzing with that. When I went in there, it was on a knife's edge. Over the moon. Was about keeping it simple. Rehan played a brilliant innings. That six he hit, second ball off Phillips, upped the ante and put them on the back foot. 

That over of Phillips we spoke about taking a risk. Off-spinner to right-handers was our match-up. Feel really confident right now. Feel calm in the middle, which is like another string in the bow. Three wins in the Super Eights against three strong sides, we're very happy," Jacks said.

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Will Jacks’ performance in T20 World Cup 2026

Importantly, Will Jacks has been in excellent form throughout the 2026 T20 World Cup. Earlier in the tournament, he won his first POTM award against Nepal after scoring 39 not out and taking 1/17 with the ball. 

After that, he delivered another strong performance against Italy, scoring 53 not out and taking 1/34. Furthermore, he impressed against Sri Lanka with a quick 21 runs and brilliant bowling figures of 3/22.

Because of these consistent performances, Jacks has played a key role in England’s success so far. With the knockout stages approaching, he now has the chance to break Watson’s record and become the first player to win five POTM awards in a single edition.

England beat New Zealand by 4 wickets

Talking about the match, New Zealand chose to bat first and scored 159/7 in their 20 overs. Although their top-order batters, including Glenn Phillips (39), Tim Seifert (35), and Finn Allen (29), got good starts, they failed to convert them into big scores. England’s bowlers, especially Jacks, Adil Rashid, and Rehan Ahmed, kept things under control.

In reply, England had a shaky start. However, useful contributions from Tom Banton (33), Harry Brook (26), Sam Curran (24), and Jacks (32 not out) helped them chase down the target in 19.3 overs. For New Zealand, Rachin Ravindra was the standout bowler with figures of 3/19, but it was not enough to stop England.

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