ISLAMABAD: The International Cricket Council (ICC) announced on Monday that it had awarded the ICC Player of the Month award for February 2026 to Pakistani opener Sahibzada Farhan, who scored over 380 runs at the T20 World Cup tournament that concluded this month.
Farhan broke former Indian skipper Virat Kohli’s record of scoring the most number of runs at a single edition of the T20 World Cup this month when he smashed 383 runs from six innings. The right-handed batter scored at an average of 76.60, which included two hundreds and as many half tons.
“Pakistan opener Sahibzada Farhan has grabbed the ICC Men’s Player of the Month for February 2026 owing to a stunning ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign in Sri Lanka,” the ICC wrote on its website.
It added that Farhan scored the runs at an impressive strike rate of 160.25 during the World Cup.
Speaking to the ICC, Farhan said it was an “incredible feeling” to win the award, considering that fans across the globe watch World Cup matches.
“It was truly a tournament I’ll always cherish, and I’m determined to carry this momentum forward in the series and competitions ahead,” he was quoted as saying by the ICC.
“I’m deeply grateful to my teammates for their constant support and belief in me — this wouldn’t have been possible without them.”
It is the only time Farhan has won the monthly ICC award, with the hard-hitting batter becoming the first male Pakistan player to achieve the feat since pacer Haris Rauf in November 2024.
Farhan also attained a new career-high rating on the latest Men’s T20I Batting rankings, moving to second spot post an outstanding ton against Sri Lanka in Pallekele.
The 29-year-old batter was also included in the ICC Team of the Tournament with scores of 47, 73, 0, 100*, Day Not Batted, 63 and 100 across seven games.
