Most Player of the Match Awards in ODI

One Day International matches are considered the highest level A format of Cricket. The allure of ODI is unmatched by the other formats of cricket which also pleasure spectators. An ODI match can last up to 9 hours before one of the two teams won the match or the match is deemed a tie. The performance of cricketers in ODI is almost every time top-notch, however, sometimes players tilt the scale in their favor making a huge impact in the match or series. 

Cricketers are awarded players of the match or man of the match and Player of the series for their outstanding play. A player can be selected for this award from either of the teams, but this award is usually given to the player from the winning team. A lot of players were given the award therefore let’s take a look at the list of Players with the Most Players of the Match Awards.

Sachin Tendulkar

God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar has been awarded the most number of Player of the Match Awards (62) in cricket. Sachin made his ODI debut at the young age of 16 against Pakistan in 1989. Tendulkar represented India in cricket for 24 years before he took his retirement from every international cricket format. In these 24 years, Sachin has played 463 Cricket matches and made various records in test matches and ODI.

Sanath Jayasuriya

Sri Lankan cricketer, Sanath Jayasuriya got the 48 players of the match award which is the second most by any cricketer in ODI matches. Sanath got the Nickname ‘Little Dynamite’ Due to his technique of hitting deliveries from the very first ball in the game. Sanath made his ODI debut in 1989 against Australia and continued to represent Sri Lanka for 22 years. He played a total of 445 ODI matches while also leading the cricket team in various matches. 

Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli is considered one of the best cricketers of his era and the greatest batsman to play across all formats. Virat was awarded the player of the match 36 times till now and also got various awards. Virat Kohli made his debut in 2008 and played a total of 262 matches till now. In 2016, ESPN ranked him as the most popular athlete, and also became one of the 100 most influential people in 2018 times magazines.

Also Read: 20 Most Interesting Facts About Ravindra Jadeja

Jacques Kallis

The South African batsman, Jacques Kallis is South Africa’s best batsman ever. He is the only batsman to have a score of more than 10,000 runs while also bagging more than 250 wickets in both ODI and test cricket. In 2008 Wisden, he was named the leading cricketer in the world for his performance. He made his test debut in 1996 against the England team and continued to play for 18 years.  He played 328 ODI matches During this period and won 32 players of the match awards.

Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting is the current coach of the Australian cricket team and captained Australia during its ‘golden era’. Ponting is the most successful captain with a winning rate of 67.92% in international cricket matches. He made his debut in ODI matches against South Africa in 1995 and continued to be part of the Australian team for 17 years. In these 17 years, Ponting played 375 matches and became the man of the match 32 times in these matches.

Shahid Afridi

Former captain of the Pakistan national cricket team Shahid Afridi has been awarded man of the match 32 times. This all-rounder made his ODI debut in 1996 against the Kenya cricket team. He represent the Pakistan cricket team for 19 years and played a total of 395 matches. Shahid Afridi led his team in the 2011 Cricket World Cup and take them to the semi-final before losing against their rival Indian cricket team.

Also Read: Cricketers With the Most Over Fifties score in ODI Matches

Viv Richards

Sir Issac Vivian Alexander Richards is a retired cricketer from Antiguan, who represented the West Indies, cricket team. Richards made his ODI debut in 1975 against Sri Lanka and played ODI matches till 1991. He played 187 One Day International matches and was awarded the Player of the Match trophy 31 times. Vivan Richard and Sachin Tendulkar were the only cricketers from the post-war era to be selected in the Wisden best test team in October 2013.

Saurav Ganguly

Saurav Ganguly is one of the most successful captains of the Indian cricket team. The prince of Calcutta has been awarded player of the match 31 times in his career of 15 years. He is the current president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Sourav has supported various cricketers like MS dhoni and Virender Shewag during his time as a captain. He earned various nicknames – Dada, Prince of Calcutta, Maharaj, and God of the Off Side. He got the nickname ‘God of the Off Side’ due to him being especially prolific in Offside.

Kumar Sangakkara

Sangakkara made his ODI debut in 2000 against Pakistan and played 404 matches till his retirement in 2015. He was awarded the player of the Match 31 time in his career. Sanga was a left-handed batsman wicket-keeper, he is the third cricketer with the Most Number of Catches as a wicket-keeper in ODI matches. He represented the Sri Lankan cricket team for 15 years and at the time of his retirement, he was the second highest run-scorer after Sachin Tendulkar.

Brian Lara

Brian Lara is a former Trinidadian cricketer, who played for the West Indies cricket team in international matches. He was one of the best cricketers ever to play for the West Indies. Brian Lara has topped the ranking on several occasions and the records he made in cricket history are enough to show his talent in cricket. He was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in September 2012.

Also Read: Most Run Scorer in Test Cricket

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. Who has the Most Man of the Match Award?

A. Sachin Tendulkar Hold the Record for the most Man of the Match Award (62)

Q. Who is the King of Cricket?

A. Virat Kohli is widely regarded as the King of Cricket

Q. Can the losing Team win the Man of the Match?

A. Usually, Man of the Match is awarded to the winning team but on many occasions losing team also got this award.