6 players with most Player of the Match awards in T20Is ft. Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav
Cricket is a team game. More often than not, it is a combined effort of all 11 players that contributes to the success of the team.
However, the T20 format is such that one inning or one bowling spell is enough to change the course of a match within a short period of time. All teams around the world have identified the impactful players who are extremely vital to the success of the team. These players have bagged a few Player of the Match awards for their contributions as well.
On that note, here is a look at six players who have won the most Player of the Match awards in T20Is.
#1 Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav- 16
The two Indian superstars top the list having won 16 Player of the Match awards apiece.
Virat Kohli had a successful T20I career and bagged the coveted Player of the Match award on 16 occasions in 125 matches. His most prestigious award came in the finals of the T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa when he played a match-winning innings of 76. Kohli single-handedly won many T20I matches for India and is one of the greatest players to have played the format.
Meanwhile, Suryakumar Yadav has been a phenomenal player in the shortest format. He has scored four centuries in T20Is and he has a century in England, New Zealand, South Africa, and India.
He has batted only 69 times in T20Is and has already bagged the Player of the Match award on 16 occasions. His latest award came in the Men in Blue's 43-run win over Sri Lanka on July 27. The current Indian captain the T20Is is ranked No. 2 in T20Is and is going strong in his favourite format.
#2 Sikander Raza- 15
The all-rounder has been an incredible servant of Zimbabwe cricket. While his team hasn't tasted much success in the shortest format in the last decade or so, Raza has made the shortest format his own. Such is his impact in T20Is that he was selected to play for Punjab Kings during the last two IPL seasons.
He is currently the No. 3 all-rounder in the shortest format as per the ICC rankings. He has scored 14 half-centuries with the bat in 87 T20I innings and has an impressive strike rate of 133.31. He is a handy batsman, especially in the death overs. He is equally effective with the ball and has bagged 66 wickets at an exceptional economy rate of 7.14 in 91 T20Is.
Raza is 38 but is still dominating the shortest format. He will look to surpass Virat Kohli and Suryakumar Yadav as far as the most Player of the Match awards in T20Is.
#1 Rohit Sharma, Mohammad Nabi and Virandeep Singh - 14
The former Indian skipper is the highest run-getter in T20Is (4231). He had an exceptional T20I career before calling it a day in the shortest format after India's triumph in the T20 World Cup 2024.
An astounding strike rate of 140.89 in 151 T20I innings including five centuries in 17 years in the shortest format defines the greatness of Sharma. He won the prestigious Player of the Match award 14 times in T20Is.
Afghanistan have made rapid strides in international cricket over the past few years, especially in the shortest format. Their former skipper Mohammad Nabi has been instrumental in the success of the team. His all-round skills have been handy for the team.
With the ball, he has bagged 96 wickets in 128 T20Is at an exceptional economy rate of 7.33. He has bowled during the crucial power play overs and has tasted success with the ball. With the bat, he has six half-centuries in 120 T20I innings and has a strike rate of almost 136.
Nabi has been a true match-winner for his team in the shortest format for a period of 14 years. Even at the age of 39, he is a vital asset for the team having won 14 Player of the Match awards.
Virandeep Singh, the 25-year-old Malaysian all-rounder features on this list. He has played most of his cricket against Associate nations. However, he's made a name for himself in the shortest format having won the Player of the Match award 14 times in just 78 T20Is.
With the bat, he has scored 2320 runs in 77 T20I innings and has a healthy average of 36.82 and a strike rate of almost 126. Singh's 66 T20I wickets have come at an exceptional economy rate of 5.51 and has single-handedly won games for this country.