The record held by Sourav Ganguly, commonly referred to as the “Maharaja of Indian Cricket,” may never be surpassed. Sourav Ganguly once won four straight ODI Man of the Match honours in 1997. Legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralidharan has also been named Man of the Match in four straight Test matches. Currently, it appears that he will continue to hold the ODI record for most Man of the Match victories.
The southpaw batter from Kolkata accomplished the milestone during the Sahara ‘Friendship Cup’ in Toronto in 1997. What will most likely amaze you is how the former Indian captain managed to win four straight Man of the Match honours.
Sourav Ganguly most consecutive Man of the Match awards
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The achievement occurred during a 5-match ODI cup series against Pakistan, India’s bitter adversary. India easily won the first game, but Ajay Jadeja’s match-winning innings of 49 runs in just 54 balls was the difference. In the opening game, Jadeja was recognised as Man of the Match. Sourav Ganguly put on a strong performance in the following four games, earning four straight Man of the Match accolades.
2nd Match
After winning the toss, Pakistan chose to bat first but never got going because they kept losing wickets often. Only 116 runs were needed to eliminate Pakistan. Together, Debasis Mohanty and Abey Kuruvilla collected 5 wickets while sharing the new ball. Ganguly was named Man of the Match for his bowling, which resulted in him taking 2 wickets in 9 overs while only giving up 16 runs. His game economy was only 1.77 RPO. He also contributed 32 runs in 86 balls during India’s second innings, which enabled them to reach their goal in just 34.4 overs.
3rd Match
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Pakistan again won the toss and elected to bowl first in the third game. Ganguly was taken out by Pakistan’s Azhar Mahmood after he had only made two runs in twenty balls. Due to his outstanding bowling performance in the second innings, Ganguly still had a significant role to play in the match. India only managed to defend 182 runs while allowing Pakistan to put up a 50-run opening stand. India had Pakistan at 87 with 3 wickets remaining after capturing the first wicket at 52. When Ganguly entered the match, he quickly claimed 4 wickets. At one time, Pakistan was 103 for 3, and after a few overs from Ganguly, they were 118 for 7. Ganguly won his second consecutive Man of the Match award by taking 5 wickets in his 10 overs while only allowing 16 runs.
4th Match
India won the toss and decided to field first in a game that was stopped by rain. Ganguly claimed 2 wickets in 6 overs as Pakistan scored 159 runs in 28 overs. Ganguly made his first appearance with the bat in the series during the second inning. The left-handed batter who started the innings off was unbeaten as he scored 75 runs in 75 balls to chase 160 runs in 25.3 overs.
5th Match
In the last game of the series, Pakistan chose to field first after winning the toss. Ganguly scored 96 runs in 136 balls while batting first. With the ball in hand, he even ended the century-long opening stand by dismissing Shahid Afridi in the second innings. In nine overs, Ganguly took two wickets while giving up 33 runs. Unfortunately for India, Ganguly’s valour was insufficient as Pakistan claimed victory in the game. Ganguly was named Man of the Match despite being on the losing team.
Even though India prevailed in the series 4-1, Sourav Ganguly’s performance will live on in the hearts of fans forever. Even if matches between India and Pakistan are important to both countries’ players’ careers, Sourav Ganguly’s performance is remarkable. His record of four consecutive Man of the Match victories may never be surpassed. The former Indian captain was named Man of the Series after scoring 222 runs in the series and taking 15 wickets.
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