While the T20 World Cup is still in its final stages, the 2026 tournament has turned out to be one of the most successful editions in recent times.
Excellent crowd attendances for non-marquee games, commendable performances from most Associate nations, challenging surfaces in India and Sri Lanka and record viewership figures have made it one of the more memorable tournaments of the 21st century.
The four semi-finalists - India, South Africa, England and New Zealand - were along expected lines. But the bigger story was the non-major sides who put in memorable efforts.
Zimbabwe were the best of the lot, winning all their group games including famous wins over Australia and Sri Lanka. They made it to the Super Eight stage, which was not only a big boost to their cricket but also their board's coffers as qualification to the next stage meant a big jump in prize money share.
The United States continued their great form from the 2024 World Cup and came within touching distance of stunning title holders India in the first game itself.
Scotland and Italy also had their moments, while the UAE raised their performance as the tournament progressed.
The national team registered a famous win over Canada in Delhi and put up a brave fight against Afghanistan, giving them confidence for future ICC tournaments.
How much prize money did the UAE receive for the 2026 T20 World Cup?
All teams at the 2026 T20 World Cup are assured of a minimum prize money of $112,500. The total prize pool is over $11 million.
The champions will take home at least $2.3m, while the runners-up stand to earn $1.17m.
There are rewards for teams finishing lower in the 20-team tournament. Teams who finished in 13th to 20th position will receive $112,500. Apart from that, there is an additional bonus of $31,154 for each match win.
That means the UAE, who finished fourth in Group D, received $143,654 from the T20 World Cup prize pool.
Record numbers
The viewership and attendance figures for the tournament have been impressive. According to the ICC, the ongoing tournament has surpassed 10 billion video views across its social media platforms and is on track to exceed the 16 billion record set in 2024.
According to reports, the India v West Indies Super Eight match saw record total digital viewership of over 500 million.
Also, the Sri Lanka v Australia group stage match reportedly had a digital viewership of 100m.
At the ground, non-India and non-marquee matches saw good crowd turnout. Even a dead rubber like South Africa v Zimbabwe in Delhi on Sunday had 25,000 people at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.
Once official figures come in, this tournament should emerge as the most-attended T20 World Cup.
