Cricket is not an individual sport but rather a team sport. Individual performances mean little if the team does not cross the line. However, all individual players shall come together to deliver a complete team performance.
In general, the winning team has a few stand-out performances that allows the team to achieve the win. The most prominent performer who has played a major role in the team’s victory is awarded with the Man of the Match Award to commiserate his contributions and achievements. There have been many Indian superstars who have won the man of the match award.
In this article, we look at the top players who have received it the most number of times across formats:
1. Sachin Tendulkar
The God of cricket stands above the rest with 76 MoM awards to his name. His sporting achievements need no introduction. He has also won the maximum number of MoMs in knockout games in World Cups thus proving his contribution in important matches. He is the only Indian with 100 centuries across formats.
2. Virat Kohli
Close on the heel of the God, Kohli has a total of MoM awards to his name. he has close to 70 international centuries to his name and even though Kohli is going through a lean patch in his career, he is still an important linchpin of the team. with the World T20 approaching, we shall add to the tally of MoM awards.
3. Sourav Ganguly
The Prince of Bengal has a solid 37 Player of the Match awards across his name. Ganguly has now retired from all formats of cricket and becomes the BCCI President. He captained the team to the finals of the 2003 World Cup. He was referred to as the “God of Offside” for his ability to effortlessly hit the ball through the covers and gully.
4. Rohit Sharma
The vice-captain of the Indian cricket team in the T20I and ODI formats, Rohit Sharma, holds the fourth position on this list. Nicknamed as The Hitman, Sharma has played many game-changing knocks for the Indian cricket team. He had received the Man of the Match award 34 times before the England Test series in 2021, and the 35th one came in London. Rohit scored his first Test hundred outside India and overtook Yuvraj Singh by winning his 35th MOTM award.
5. Yuvraj Singh
The legendary all-rounder of the Indian team, Yuvi has 34 Player of the Match awards against his name. he was a fantastic left-arm spinner and a phenomenal middle-order batsman. He has an electrifying presence in the field and could pull of stunners from nowhere. He has the distinction of hammering Stuart Broad for 6 sixes in an over. He won multiple MoM awards in the 2011 World Cup and eventually ended up as the Player of the Tournament too.
