Most Man of the Match awards in IPL
| Player | Matches Played | Runs | Wickets taken | Man of the Match awards |
| AB de Villiers | 179 | 5079 | NA | 25 |
| Chris Gayle | 142 | 4965 | 18 | 22 |
| Rohit Sharma | 210 | 5564 | 15 | 18 |
| David Warner | 150 | 5449 | NA | 17 |
| MS Dhoni | 214 | 4684 | NA | 17 |
| Yusuf Pathan | 174 | 3204 | 42 | 16 |
| Shane Watson | 145 | 3874 | 92 | 16 |
The Indian Premier League (IPL)has been the benchmark when it comes to the T20 format. It’s a golden opportunity for players to prove their mettle and make a mark in front of the world. From Swapnil Asnodkar to Virat Kohli to Hardik Pandya to Chris Gayle, the IPL has given some fame while turning some into legends. The rewards for these players are also great with a lot of prize money involved per match. But which player has taken away most man of the match awards in IPL?
For fourteen years, overseas and Indian players have produced spectacular displays in the league. The ‘player of the match’ award is not perfect but still a very good metric to judge the impact of the players. The T20 format is volatile and even a small cameo can change the entire complexion of the match. The number of these awards could be very helpful in understanding the most consistent and impactful performers in the history of the IPL.
Here we take a look at the players with the most number of ‘Man of the match’ titles:
AB de Villiers – 25
The South African maestro is arguably the best batter across formats in the 21st century. AB de Villiers has had an enviable record in the IPL, having played for two franchises – Delhi Daredevils and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
De Villiers has scored over 5000 runs at an average of 40 while striking at an incredible rate of 152. He has smashed three centuries and 40 half centuries in his IPL career. Considering that he has batted in the middle order throughout his career makes these numbers even more insane. ABD has been absolutely sensational for RCB since moving from DC, making the biggest impact for the franchise. It is no surprise that AB de Villiers tops the list with 25 Man of the Match of IPL titles.
Chris Gayle – 22
The Universe Boss takes the second spot on this list with 22 ‘Man of the match’ awards to his credit. Chris Gayle is arguably the greatest T20 batter the world has ever seen, with over 14000 runs to his name in this format, including 22 hundreds – the next best has 8 hundreds.
He has represented Kolkata Knight Riders, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Punjab Kings (earlier Kings XI Punjab) in the IPL, making an impact for all three. Gayle has recorded the highest individual score in IPL history and also has an impressive strike rate. He played for KKR in 2009-10, scoring 463 runs in 16 innings at an average of 31 and strike rate of 142. For PBKS, Gayle has been playing for them since 2018, scoring 1339 runs at 36 average and 143 strike rate. His peak years came for RCB from 2011 to 2017, amassing 3163 runs in 84 innings at an average of 43 while striking at 153. Gayle has smashed six hundreds and 31 fifties in the IPL history.
Rohit Sharma – 18
The six-time IPL champion Rohit Sharma has the third most ‘Player of the match’ awards, being honoured with it 18 times. The Mumbai player has a special place in the history of IPL for leading Mumbai Indians to five IPL championships and one Champions League T20 title. He is the most successful captain in the league history.
Rohit’s overall IPL numbers look good, having scored over 5500 runs at an average of 31 and strike rate of 130. He was very successful as a batter in now defunct Deccan Chargers as well as MI in the early years. Even though he hasn’t been at his best in recent years, it has become an equation that the team wins whenever Rohit plays a big knock. The Hitman has one hundred and 40 fifties to his credit in the IPL.
David Warner – 17
The next one on the list is David Warner as the joint fourth most ‘Player of the match’ winner with 17 awards to his name. David Warner is arguably the greatest batter in the Indian Premier League and has led Sunrisers Hyderabad to an IPL championship in 2016.
Warner played for Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) and Sunrisers, amassing 5449 runs at an outstanding average of 42 and strike rate of 140. The Aussie left hander smashed two hundreds each for both the franchises. Warner peaked after moving to SRH, producing six consecutive seasons of 500+ runs. In SRH’s title-winning campaign in 2016, Warner smashed 848 runs at an incredible average of 61 while striking at 151. With four hundreds and 50 half centuries in the tournament’s history, it is no surprise he makes this list.
MS Dhoni – 17
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has built a legacy that very few can match. The former Indian captain has all the trophies in his cabinet. In the Indian Premier League, Dhoni is synonymous with Chennai Super Kings, having led them to three IPL championships and two Champions League T20 trophies.
One of the best finishers in world cricket, Dhoni the batter, has won CSK countless matches from difficult situations. He has scored over 4600 runs for the franchise at an average of nearly 40 and a strike rate of 136. Dhoni has 23 half centuries to his name and countless quickfire cameos. The CSK legend makes a rightful entry on this list with 17 ‘player of the match’ awards.
Yusuf Pathan – 16
This could come as a surprise for the newer generation, but Yusuf Pathan has had an immense impact in the IPL and takes joint fifth place with 16 awards to his credit. Pathan has played for Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Pathan was in the twilight of his career during his SRH stint but had tremendous success at the othe two franchises. He scored 3204 runs in the league averaging 29 at a strike rate of 143, including one hundred and and 13 fifties. Pathan also contributed with the ball, picking 42 wickets at an economy of 7.40. Pathan’s most memorable performance came in 2014, when he blasted 72* off just 22 balls to power KKR into the top two, which proved vital in their title-winning campaign.
Shane Watson – 16
The Australian all-rounder has seen all the ups and downs, leaving behind an admirable legacy. Shane Watson makes the list as joint fifth ‘player of the match’ winner with 16 awards. Watson represented Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings in his IPL career.
Watson was outstanding for RR in early years, which included his ‘player of the tournament’ performance in the inaugural edition. He had smashed 472 runs and picked 17 wickets in RR’s title-winning campaign. He scored 1679 runs for RR at an average of 37 and a strike rate of 141. After moving on, he had forgettable two seasons with RCB but had one last surge for CSK. He played three seasons for the yellow army, scoring 1252 runs at 30 average and 136 SR. With four hundreds, 21 fifties and 92 wickets to his name, it would’ve been a surprise if Watson wasn’t on the list.
Also read: From India to West Indies – T20 World Cup Winners List Over the Years
