Well, leading their respective teams to a glorious victory at One-Day Internationals is nothing short of a dream for a majority of international cricketers and being honored with the coveted Man of the Match award for leading their teams to the highly anticipated victory from the front is something that is often regarded as the highlight of their cricketing careers.
In this article, we will take a look at the top five cricketers who hold the record for winning the most Man of the Match awards in ODI format.
Sachin Tendulkar, India – 62 Awards
The Indian former international cricketer and skipper of the Indian cricket team, often hailed as the “God of Indian cricket”, Sachin Tendulkar holds the record for clinching the highest number of Man of the Match awards, i.e. 62. Sachin Tendulkar represented the Indian cricket team in a total of 463 ODI matches from 1989 to 2012. The all-time legendary international cricketer is also the highest run-scorer in both ODI and Test formats, with a phenomenal total of 18,426* runs and 15,921* runs respectively.
Sanath Jayasuriya, Sri Lanka – 48 Awards
Often hailed as one of the greatest all-rounders to ever play for Sri Lanka in ODI cricket, Sanath Jayasuriya undoubtedly revolutionized the stature of Sri Lanka in the ODIs in the mid-90s. Currently appointed as the head coach of the Sri Lanka National cricket team, Sanath Jayasuriya holds the record for clinching the second-highest number of Man of the Match awards in the ODI format, i.e. 48. Sanath Jayasuriya appeared in a total of 445 ODI matches and amassed a phenomenal total of 13,430* runs in his extremely successful career that lasted from 1989 to 2011.
Virat Kohli, India – 41 Awards
Undoubtedly one of the greatest and most reliable batsmen ever introduced by the Indian side in international cricket, Virat Kohli is at the third spot in our list of top five cricketers who hold the record for winning the most Man of the Match awards in the ODI format, with a record total of 41 awards under his name. Additionally, the run-machine of India – Virat Kohli, also holds the record for smashing the highest number of centuries in ODI cricket, i.e. 50, speaking volumes about the dominance of Kohli on the cricket field. In the upcoming years, we can definitely count on King Kohli to lead the Indian cricket team from the front in the ODIs and smash even more unbelievable records.
Jacques Kallis, South Africa – 32 Awards
The ultimate expert at facing the new ball at the One-Day Internationals, former South African professional cricketer and current coach of the South African cricket team, Jacques Kallis, often recognised as one of the greatest all-rounders to ever play for South Africa in international cricket, is at the fourth spot on our list of top five cricketers who have won the most Man of the Match awards in ODI format with a stellar total of 32 awards. Additionally, Jacques Kallis also holds the terrific record of being the only cricketer in the world to pick up over 250 wickets in both ODI and Test formats.
Ricky Ponting, Australia – 32 Awards
With a total of 220 victories out of 324 international cricket matches, Ricky Ponting is rightly regarded as one of the most successful captains of all-time for the Australian cricket team. Ricky Ponting led the Aussies to a formidable streak of victories at numerous prestigious international cricketing tournaments, including the 2003 and 2007 Cricket World Cups as a captain. Ricky Ponting ended his ODI career for Australia with a total of 32 Man of the Match awards, ranking him at the fifth spot on our list of top five cricketers who hold the record for winning the most Man of the Match awards in the ODI format.
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