5 cricketers with the most Man of the Match awards in T20I cricket
The Twenty20 format is the shortest and newest format of cricket. An excellent individual performance can easily change the outcome of a contest in the 20-over per side matches. At times, the entire course of the game is altered in a matter of a few overs. This is the format in which individual brilliance can overshadow a complete team performance from the opposition. Let us take a look at the list of cricketers who have delivered such performances the most number of times at the international level.
#5 Chris Gayle: 9 in 58 games
The hard-hitting Jamaican is one of the best batsmen in the shortest format of the game. The ‘Universal Boss’ has scored runs in every T20 league he has been part of. He became the first batsman to score a T20 century, when he blasted 117 off just 57 balls against South Africa during the 2007 ICC World T20. The southpaw has always been an impact player and has won the Man of the Match award on 9 separate occasions from 58 games. Gayle hasn’t played an international game since the ICC Cricket World Cup last year. But the 40-year-old opening batsman may still be a part of the West Indies' plans for the T20 World Cup later in the year in Australia.
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Matches 58 | Runs 1627 | Average 38.09 | Strike Rate 32.54 | 50s 13 | 100s 2 | Highest Score 117.
#4 Rohit Sharma: 10 in 108 games
Rohit Sharma has been in amazing form for the last few years. The opening batsman made his T20I debut in 2007. In the early days of his career, he struggled to be consistent. But since his promotion to the top of the batting order, he hasn’t looked back. On his day, the Mumbaikar can change the course of the game quickly. He has won the MoM award 10 times. Sharma has scored more T20I hundreds (4) than anyone else. Looking at the way he has been performing in recent times, Sharma will surely move up in this list in the coming years.
Matches 108 | Runs 2773 | Average 32.24 | Strike Rate 138.79 | 50s 21 | 100s 4 | Highest Score 118.
#3 Shahid Afridi: 11 in 99 games
Shahid Afridi is known for his attacking cricket. Even before the T20s were a thing, he would try to smash bowlers out of the park almost every ball. With his batting style, ‘Boom Boom’ was always going to be an important asset in the shortest format. His bowling abilities only made things better for the team. He won the MoM award 11 times throughout his T20I career. He also won the Player of the Tournament award in the 2007 ICC World T20. The 40-year-old Pakistani all-rounder announced retirement for one last time and decided to bid adieu to international cricket, but he can still be seen entertaining his fans in various T20 leagues all over the world.
Matches 99 | Runs 1416 | Average 17.92 | Strike Rate 150 | 50s 4 | 100s 0 | Highest Score 54 | Wickets 98 | Bowling Average 24.45 | Economy Rate 6.63 | Best Bowling Figures 11/4.
#2 Virat Kohli: 12 in 82 games
The Indian skipper is currently the batsman with most runs in T20 internationals. Virat Kohli made his T20I debut in 2010 and has been an important part of the team since. Kohli has 12 MoM awards from just 82 games. The Delhi lad was the Player of the Tournament in the last two editions of the ICC T20 World Cup. India despite having a strong batting line-up invariably depends on him to deliver a win. Kohli has amazing numbers in every format, including T20Is where he averages 50 plus. He has many records to his name and will definitely move further up the list in the near future.
Matches 82 | Runs 2794 | Average 50.8 | Strike Rate 138.25 | 50s 24 | 100s 0 | Highest Score 94.
#1 Mohammad Nabi: 12 in 78 games
His name may come as a surprise to many, but if one follows T20 Leagues all over the world, it is common knowledge that Mohammad Nabi is one of the best all-rounders in world cricket. Nabi is an attacking batsman, who can score at a brisk rate and an off-spinner, who can outfox any batsman on a given day. He is one of the major reasons behind the rise of the Afghanistan Cricket Team in the last decade. In T20Is, he has won the MoM award 12 separate occasions. The Afghan cricketer has played all around the world for various franchises and has still a lot of cricket left in him. He is likely to pile up more MoMs before he decides to hang his boots.
Matches 77 | Runs 1317 | Average 21.95 | Strike Rate 145.85 | 50s 4 | 100s 0 | Highest Score 89 | Wickets 69 | Bowling Average 26.91 | Economy Rate 7.24 | Best Bowling Figures 10/4.
#Note: All statistics are as of 25 March 2020