Top 10 Cricketers With Most Man Of The Match Awards In International Cricket

A Man of the Match award is often rewarded to a player, who delivers impactful and match-turning performances for any team. Such cricketers are hugely valuable to their outfits as they could affect a result of any game, regardless of the magnitude of the pressure. With that, they earn the respect of their teammates and make themselves undroppable.

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But very few cricketers can deliver such notable and remarkable performances consistently. As a result, only a handful of players have plenty of man of the match awards under their belt. Not only does it require immense skill and concentration, but composure and discipline. Over the years, every cricketing nation has produced only some cricketers winning man of the match awards frequently.

We take a look at the top ten cricketers to win the most man of the match awards in international cricket:

10. Aravinda de Silva – 41:

Aravinda de Silva was one of the best cricketers that Sri Lanka produced since its inception in international cricket in 1975. Aravinda de Silva played an integral role in the cricketing nation’s rise, scoring a sublime hundred in the 1996 World Cup final against Australia in Lahore to deliver Sri Lanka’s first significant victory.

Not only was de Silva a highly accomplished batsman, he was also a handy bowler. His off-spin yielded three wickets in the final before a remarkable hundred sealed the World Cup for Sri Lanka. The former national chief selector has featured in 401 international games from 1984-2003 and secured 41 awards across Tests and ODIs.

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9. Viv Richards – 41:

Sir Vivian Richards was arguably one of the most consistent and destructive batters of all time. Sir Viv Richards arrival used to spark nervous energies amongst the bowlers as he had the reputation to take them to the cleaners from ball one. The Antiguan was significantly responsible for the West Indies’ most dominant era from the 1970s to the early 1990s.

The former West Indian skipper averaged a healthy 50.23 in Tests and 47 in One-day internationals, with two World Cup titles under his belt. The 69-year old had an ODI batting strike rate of 90.20, which was highly impressive for any batsman then. Richards, who featured in 308 international fixtures, clinched 41 man of the match awards, including 31 in ODIs.

8. Brian Lara – 42:

Brian Lara was yet another West Indian great who scored runs for fun during his nearly two-decade international career. Apart from being a run-machine or a prolific run-getter across formats, Brian Lara was also a stylish batsman. The southpaw is one of the few batsmen to accumulate more than 10000 runs in both formats.

The 131-Test veteran averages a daunting 52.88 in Tests and 40.48 in 299 One-day internationals. Lara also holds the record for the highest Test score, making an unbeaten 400 and a record first-class score of 501. In 430 international fixtures, the Trinidad & Tobago lad bagged 42 man of the match awards.

7. Shahid Afridi – 43:

Former Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi was a very dynamic and impactful cricketer. While Shahid Afridi was a feared prospect for the bowlers, there were also occasions he threw his wickets when his team needed something special. The former Pakistan captain was also a controversial cricketer, involved in several on-field fights and off-field disputes.

Shahid Afridi was not a destructive batsman, capable of hitting sixes at will, but also a willy leg-spinner. The 41-year old was highly capable of running through any batting line-up and delivering a match-winning spell. In 524 international fixtures, out of which 398 were ODIs, Afridi earned 43 man of the match awards.

6. Ricky Ponting – 49:

Former Australian skipper Ricky Ponting has a highly impressive record as a captain and player, asserting his dominance from 1995-2012 in Tests and ODIs. Though Ricky Ponting was a controversial cricketer, there exists no doubt he was a valuable member of the Australian team. The men in yellow happened to taste most success with the Tasmanian at the helm.

Ponting, the highest run-getter for Australia in Test and ODI cricket, led Australia to two World Cups and two champions trophy victories. With 48 victories in 77 Tests as skipper, the 168-Test veteran has the second-highest wins in the format and is the only player to date to star in more than 100 Test wins. In 560 international matches, the 46-year old has 49 man of the match awards.

5. Kumar Sangakkara – 50:

Former Sri Lankan keeper Kumar Sangakkara was a prolific run-maker and an elegant stroke maker. Kumar Sangakkara had a penchant for playing one of the best cover drives in the history of the game. As a captain, Sangakkara missed out on leading Sri Lanka to glory in 2011, but won the T20 World Cup as a player three years later.

As a batsman, the southpaw averages a jaw-dropping 57.40 in Test cricket in 134 Tests and has played over 400 One-day internationals. Sangakkara’s 14234 runs in 50-over cricket are the second-highest in the format. In 594 international matches, the retired cricketer has snared 50 man of the match awards.

4. Jacques Kallis – 57:

Jacques Kallis made his Test debut back in 1995 against England at the Kingsmead in Durban and ended his career on the same ground against India eighteen years later. During his nearly two-decade career, the seam-bowling all-rounder established himself as the complete cricketer of the generation.

The 45-year old, who averaged 55.37 and 44.36 in Test and ODI cricket respectively has over 10000 runs in both versions, apart from more than 200 scalps. Jacques Kallis’ 45 Test centuries are the second-highest in the format. In 519 international matches, the retired all-rounder snapped 57 man of the match awards.

3. Virat Kohli – 57:

Current Indian captain Virat Kohli is a modern-day great and has a penchant for scoring runs across all three formats consistently. Virat Kohli is the only cricketer in the current era to average more than 50 in Test, ODIs, and T20Is. One-day international cricket is perhaps his strongest suit, mustering over 12000 runs with an average of nearly 60.

The 32-year old has also topped the number one ranking in Tests and ODIs on quite a few occasions and kept the top spot in 50-over cricket for 36 months. Even though Kohli is yet to lead India to an ICC trophy, the right-handed batsman is one of the impactful Indian captains. In 436 international matches so far, Kohli, the only non-retired player on this list, has 57 man of the match awards.

2. Sanath Jayasuriya – 58:

Sanath Jayasuriya is the third Sri Lankan cricketer on this list and is amongst the greatest opening batsmen the world has seen. Irrespective of the format, Sanath Jayasuriya preferred to go after the bowlers from the get-go and asserted his authority at the top of the order. The southpaw had a strike rate of 65.18 and 91.20 in Test and ODI cricket respectively.

Apart from that, the Matara-born former cricketer accumulated more than 13000 runs in 445 ODIs and he is the third-most appearances in the format. Jayasuriya, who played his first Worl Cup in 1996, began revolutionizing the format with his attacking gameplay. Sanath Jayasuriya has won 58 man of the match awards in 586 international fixtures.

1. Sachin Tendulkar – 76:

Former Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar occupies the top spot on this list as he is the custodian of various records in Test and ODI cricket. Sachin Tendulkar began his international career back in 1989, serving the Indian team till 2013 and his longevity is still talked about extensively. Apart from being the highest run-getter in Test and ODI cricket, he is also the most-capped cricketer in both formats.

The 48-year old former cricketer has 15921 in 200 Tests at 53.79, with 51 centuries, and a best score of 248. In ODIs, Tendulkar has 18426 in 463 games. The right-handed batsman’s 49 ODI and 51 Test hundreds are also the highest in both versions of the game. All these records are unlikely to get breached soon. His 76 man of the match awards in a staggering 664 international fixtures are the most.

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(All Stats Updated Till 4th July, 2021)