Player of the Match awards (cricket)
In sport of cricket, a Man of the Match or Player of the match and Player of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a player from either team, usually the winning team.
In cricket, the man of the match award became a regular feature in Test matches in the mid 1980s.[1] The man of the match title is usually awarded to the player whose contribution is seen as the most critical in winning the game. However, there have been many instances when the performance of the losing team's player has earned him the award. Test cricket has witnessed rare instances when a joint award for man of the match or man of the series has been announced. However, in ODIs and Twenty20 this phenomenon is usually seen when the member of the losing team is the highest scorer, such as when Charles Coventry (194) and Tamim Iqbal (154) shared the award when Zimbabwe lost the match. In another interesting match held on 3 April 1996, the whole team from New Zealand was awarded the Men of the Match award by adjudicator Basil Butcher who pronounced it a team performance.[2] It was the first and only (till 2015) instance when a whole team was awarded it.[3]
In Test matches, Jacques Kallis holds the record for the highest number of awards won, with 23 in 166 matches played, which is then followed by Muttiah Muralitharan with 19 awards.[1]
In ODIs, Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for the highest number of man of the match titles, with 62 awards in 463 matches played.[4] Tendulkar is followed by Sanath Jayasuriya, who, along with Ricky Ponting, also holds the record for the maximum number of Man of the Match titles as captain.[5]
In Twenty20 Internationals, Shahid Afridi top ranked with 11 awards, followed by Virat Kohli , Mohammad Shahzad , Chris Gayle and Shane Watson with 9 awards.[6]
The following tables are about the top 20 players with most Player of the Match awards and Player of the Series awards in all formats of the game.
Test Cricket
Most Player-of-the Match Awards
| No. of Awards | Player | Matches | Career |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Jacques Kallis  South Africa | 166 | 1995–2013 |
| 19 | Muttiah Muralitharan  Sri Lanka | 133 | 1992–2010 |
| 17 | Wasim Akram  Pakistan | 104 | 1985–2002 |
| 17 | Shane Warne  Australia | 145 | 1992–2007 |
| 16 | Kumar Sangakkara Sri Lanka | 134 | 2000–2015 |
| 16 | Ricky Ponting Australia | 168 | 1995–2012 |
| 14 | Curtly Ambrose  West Indies | 98 | 1988–2000 |
| 14 | Steve Waugh Australia | 168 | 1985–2004 |
| 14 | Sachin Tendulkar  India | 200 | 1989–2013 |
| 13 | Mahela Jayawardene Sri Lanka | 149 | 1997–2014 |
| 12 | Ian Botham  England | 102 | 1977–1992 |
| 12 | Graeme Smith South Africa | 117 | 2002–2014 |
| 12 | Brian Lara West Indies | 131 | 1990–2006 |
| 11 | Imran Khan Pakistan | 88 | 1971–1992 |
| 11 | Aravinda de Silva Sri Lanka | 93 | 1984–2002 |
| 11 | Shaun Pollock South Africa | 108 | 1995–2008 |
| 11 | Daniel Vettori  New Zealand | 113 | 1997–2014 |
| 11 | Glenn McGrath Australia | 124 | 1993–2007 |
| 11 | Allan Border Australia | 156 | 1978–1994 |
| 11 | Shivnarine Chanderpaul West Indies | 164 | 1994–2015 |
|
Last updated: 28 August 2016[7] | |||
Most Player-of-the Series Awards
| No. of Awards | Player | No. of Series | Career |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Muttiah Muralitharan Sri Lanka | 61 | 1992–2010 |
| 9 | Jacques Kallis South Africa | 61 | 1995–2013 |
| 8 | Imran Khan Pakistan | 28 | 1971–1992 |
| 8 | Richard Hadlee New Zealand | 33 | 1973–1990 |
| 8 | Shane Warne Australia | 46 | 1992–2007 |
| 7 | Ravichandran Ashwin India | 15 | 2011–Pre |
| 7 | Wasim Akram Pakistan | 43 | 1985–2002 |
| 7 | Shivnarine Chanderpaul West Indies | 60 | 1994–2015 |
| 6 | Malcolm Marshall West Indies | 21 | 1978–1991 |
| 6 | Curtly Ambrose West Indies | 27 | 1988–2000 |
| 6 | Steve Waugh Australia | 54 | 1985–2004 |
| 5 | Andrew Strauss England | 29 | 2004–2012 |
| 5 | Graham Gooch England | 34 | 1975–1995 |
| 5 | Dale Steyn South Africa | 37 | 2004–Pre |
| 5 | Michael Clarke Australia | 38 | 2004–2015 |
| 5 | Waqar Younis Pakistan | 38 | 1989–2003 |
| 5 | Virender Sehwag India | 39 | 2001–2013 |
| 5 | Glenn McGrath Australia | 42 | 1993–2007 |
| 5 | Sachin Tendulkar India | 74 | 1989–2013 |
| 4 | Andrew Flintoff England | 25 | 1998–2009 |
|
Last updated: 12 October 2016[8] | |||
One Day International Cricket
Most Player-of-the Match Awards
| No. of Awards | Player | Matches | Career |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62 | Sachin Tendulkar India | 463 | 1989–2012 |
| 40 | Sanath Jayasuriya Sri Lanka | 445 | 1989–2011 |
| 32 | Jacques Kallis South Africa | 328 | 1996–2014 |
| 32 | Ricky Ponting Australia | 375 | 1995–2012 |
| 32 | Shahid Afridi Pakistan | 398 | 1996–2015 |
| 31 | Vivian Richards West Indies | 187 | 1975–1991 |
| 31 | Sourav Ganguly India | 311 | 1992–2007 |
| 31 | Kumar Sangakkara Sri Lanka | 404 | 2000–2015 |
| 30 | Brian Lara West Indies | 299 | 1990–2007 |
| 30 | Aravinda de Silva Sri Lanka | 308 | 1984–2003 |
| 28 | Saeed Anwar Pakistan | 247 | 1989–2003 |
| 28 | Adam Gilchrist Australia | 287 | 1996–2008 |
| 25 | AB de Villiers South Africa | 206 | 2005-Pre |
| 25 | Nathan Astle New Zealand | 223 | 1995–2007 |
| 25 | Desmond Haynes West Indies | 238 | 1978–1994 |
| 25 | Yuvraj Singh India | 293 | 2000-Pre |
| 25 | Tillakaratne Dilshan Sri Lanka | 330 | 1999–2016 |
| 24 | Arjuna Ranatunga Sri Lanka | 269 | 1982–1999 |
| 24 | Inzamam-ul-Haq Pakistan | 378 | 1991–2007 |
| 23 | Virender Sehwag India | 251 | 1999–2013 |
|
Last updated: 4 September 2016[9] | |||
Most Player-of-the Series Awards
| No. of Awards | Player | No. of Series | Career |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | Sachin Tendulkar India | 108 | 1989–2012 |
| 11 | Sanath Jayasuriya Sri Lanka | 111 | 1989–2011 |
| 9 | Shaun Pollock South Africa | 60 | 1996–2008 |
| 7 | Hashim Amla South Africa | 40 | 2008-Pre |
| 7 | Vivian Richards West Indies | 40 | 1975–1991 |
| 7 | Chris Gayle West Indies | 64 | 1999-Pre |
| 7 | Yuvraj Singh India | 68 | 2000–Pre |
| 7 | Sourav Ganguly India | 75 | 1992–2007 |
| 7 | Ricky Ponting Australia | 77 | 1995–2012 |
| 6 | AB de Villiers South Africa | 55 | 2005-Pre |
| 6 | Mahendra Singh Dhoni India | 65 | 2004-Pre |
| 6 | Jacques Kallis South Africa | 76 | 1996–2014 |
| 6 | Tillakaratne Dilshan Sri Lanka | 80 | 1999–2016 |
| 6 | Inzamam-ul-Haq Pakistan | 92 | 1991–2007 |
| 5 | Shakib Al Hasan  Bangladesh | 49 | 2006-Pre |
| 5 | Kumar Sangakkara Sri Lanka | 90 | 2000–2015 |
| 4 | Mitchell Starc Australia | 18 | 2010-Pre |
| 4 | Kepler Wessels South Africa | 21 | 1983–1994 |
| 4 | Kane Williamson New Zealand | 29 | 2010-Pre |
| 4 | David Gower England | 32 | 1978–1991 |
|
Last updated: 9 October 2016[10] | |||
Twenty20 International Cricket
Most Player-of-the Match Awards
| No. of Awards | Player | Matches | Career |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Shahid Afridi Pakistan | 98 | 2006-Pre |
| 9 | Virat Kohli India | 45 | 2010-Pre |
| 9 | Mohammad Shahzad  Afghanistan | 48 | 2010-Pre |
| 9 | Chris Gayle West Indies | 50 | 2006-Pre |
| 9 | Shane Watson Australia | 58 | 2006–2016 |
| 8 | Mohammad Hafeez Pakistan | 77 | 2006-Pre |
| 7 | Yuvraj Singh India | 55 | 2007-Pre |
| 7 | Martin Guptill New Zealand | 61 | 2009-Pre |
| 7 | Brendon McCullum New Zealand | 71 | 2005–2015 |
| 7 | Umar Akmal Pakistan | 82 | 2009-Pre |
| 6 | Sanath Jayasuriya Sri Lanka | 31 | 2006–2011 |
| 6 | Kevin Pietersen England | 37 | 2005–2013 |
| 6 | Mahela Jayawardena Sri Lanka | 55 | 2006–2014 |
| 6 | David Warner Australia | 63 | 2009-Pre |
| 6 | AB de Villiers South Africa | 71 | 2006-Pre |
| 6 | Tillakaratne Dilshan Sri Lanka | 80 | 2007–2016 |
| 5 | Kusal Perera Sri Lanka | 25 | 2013–Pre |
| 5 | Mudassar Bukhari  Netherlands | 38 | 2008-Pre |
| 5 | Ajantha Mendis Sri Lanka | 39 | 2008–2014 |
| 5 | Marlon Samuels West Indies | 51 | 2007-Pre |
|
Last updated:24 September 2016[11] | |||
All Formats
Note: Players in bold are still active in international cricket.
Most Player-of-the Match Awards
| No. of Awards | Player | Matches | Tests | ODIs | T20Is |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | Sachin Tendulkar India | 664 | 14 | 62 | 0 |
| 58 | Sanath Jayasuriya Sri Lanka | 586 | 4 | 48 | 6 |
| 57 | Jacques Kallis South Africa | 519 | 23 | 32 | 2 |
| 50 | Kumar Sangakkara Sri Lanka | 594 | 16 | 31 | 3 |
| 49 | Ricky Ponting Australia | 560 | 16 | 32 | 1 |
| 43 | Shahid Afridi Pakistan | 523 | 0 | 32 | 11 |
| 42 | Brian Lara West Indies | 430 | 12 | 30 | 0 |
| 41 | Vivian Richards West Indies | 308 | 10 | 31 | 0 |
| 41 | Aravinda de Silva Sri Lanka | 401 | 11 | 30 | 0 |
| 41 | Mahela Jayawardene Sri Lanka | 652 | 13 | 22 | 6 |
| 40 | Chris Gayle West Indies | 422 | 8 | 23 | 9 |
| 39 | Wasim Akram Pakistan | 460 | 17 | 22 | 0 |
| 37 | Sourav Ganguly India | 424 | 6 | 31 | 0 |
| 36 | AB de Villiers South Africa | 383 | 5 | 25 | 6 |
| 35 | Adam Gilchrist Australia | 396 | 7 | 28 | 0 |
| 35 | Steve Waugh Australia | 493 | 14 | 21 | 0 |
| 35 | Tillakaratne Dilshan Sri Lanka | 497 | 4 | 25 | 6 |
| 34 | Virat Kohli India | 271 | 3 | 22 | 9 |
| 34 | Shaun Pollock South Africa | 423 | 11 | 22 | 1 |
| 33 | Inzamam-ul-Haq Pakistan | 499 | 9 | 24 | 0 |
|
Last updated: 29 October 2016[12] | |||||
Most Player-of-the Series Awards
Note: Players in bold are still active in international cricket.
| No. of Awards | Player | Series | Tests | ODIs | T20Is |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Sachin Tendulkar India | 183 | 5 | 15 | 0 |
| 15 | Jacques Kallis South Africa | 148 | 9 | 6 | 0 |
| 13 | Sanath Jayasuriya Sri Lanka | 176 | 2 | 11 | 0 |
| 11 | Shaun Pollock South Africa | 107 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| 11 | Chris Gayle West Indies | 124 | 2 | 7 | 2 |
| 11 | Shivnarine Chanderpaul West Indies | 136 | 7 | 4 | 0 |
| 11 | Ricky Ponting Australia | 147 | 4 | 7 | 0 |
| 11 | Muttiah Muralitharan Sri Lanka | 155 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Imran Khan Pakistan | 74 | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | Hashim Amla South Africa | 94 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| 10 | Sourav Ganguly India | 120 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| 10 | AB de Villiers South Africa | 123 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 10 | Wasim Akram Pakistan | 136 | 7 | 3 | 0 |
| 10 | Tillakaratne Dilshan Sri Lanka | 148 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| 10 | Kumar Sangakkara Sri Lanka | 167 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| 9 | Vivian Richards West Indies | 69 | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| 9 | Graham Gooch England | 71 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| 9 | Shane Warne Australia | 82 | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| 9 | Shakib Al Hasan Bangladesh | 95 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
|
Last updated: 9 October 2016[13] | |||||
References
- 1 2 "Records / Test matches / Individual records (captains, players, umpires) /Most player-of-the-match awards". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
- ↑ "Fourth One-Day International – WEST INDIES v NEW ZEALAND". Wisden 1997. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
- ↑ "4th ODI: West Indies v New Zealand at Georgetown, Apr 3, 1996 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 24 March 2015.
- ↑ "Records / One-Day Internationals / Individual records (captains, players, umpires) /Most player-of-the-match awards". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
- ↑ "Records / One-Day Internationals / Individual records (captains, players, umpires) / Most player-of-the-match awards".
- ↑ "Records / Twenty20 Internationals / Individual records (captains, players, umpires) /Most player-of-the-match awards". ESPN Cricinfo. ESPN Sports Media. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
- ↑ "Records / Test matches / Individual records (captains, players, umpires) / Most player-of-the-match awards". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ↑ "Records / Test matches / Individual records (captains, players, umpires) / Most player-of-the-series awards". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ↑ "Records / One-Day Internationals / Individual records (captains, players, umpires) / Most player-of-the-match awards". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ↑ "Records / One-Day Internationals / Individual records (captains, players, umpires) / Most player-of-the-series awards". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ↑ "Records / Twenty20 Internationals / Individual records (captains, players, umpires) / Most player-of-the-match awards". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ↑ "Records / Combined Test, ODI and T20I records / Individual records (captains, players, umpires) / Most player-of-the-match awards". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
- ↑ "Records / Combined Test, ODI and T20I records / Individual records (captains, players, umpires) / Most player-of-the-series awards". Cricinfo. ESPN. Retrieved 18 November 2015.