Winning the Man of the Match in any format of international cricket is the dream of every individual who starts playing the sport professionally. The first aim is to play for the country and the next target is to win matches for the nation.
The organizers of cricket matches award the Man of the Match award to the player who performs the best in batting and/or bowling departments across the two teams. While winning the award once is a major achievement for some players, here’s a list of four such players who won more than 50 Player of the Match awards in their international careers.
4. Jacques Kallis – 57 Man of the Match awards
Former South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis is regarded by many as the best cricketer of all time. He was one of the few players who could fit into the team as a complete all-rounder. It should not be a surprise that Kallis won the Player of the Match award in 23 Tests, 32 ODIs and two T20I matches.
3. Virat Kohli – 58 awards
Former Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli owns the record for the second highest Man of the Match awards won by an Indian in international cricket history. The right-handed batter has won the award in nine Tests, 36 ODIs and 13 T20Is.
2. Sanath Jayasuriya – 58 awards
Former Sri Lankan cricket team captain Sanath Jayasuriya won the same number of awards as Virat Kohli. Like Jacques Kallis, Jayasuriya is one of the finest all-rounders of the game. He won the award in four Tests, 48 ODIs and six T20Is.
1. Sachin Tendulkar – 76 Man of the Match awards
Nicknamed by many as the God of Cricket, Sachin Tendulkar won this award in 76 matches of his legendary career. The former Indian captain never won the award in T20Is but did so is 14 Test matches and 62 ODI matches.
