IPL 2019: An ideal XI made up of players with most Man of the Match awards
The Indian Premier League is getting ready for its 12th season, and the player auction will take place in mid-December. All the teams have announced the list of players retained and released, and will look to address their respective issues at the auction.
In the IPL, the result is of ultimate importance, and winning a match for their team is every player's ultimate goal. Many players have been experts in chases, which is why it is not surprising that more Man of the Match awards are won by batsmen and all-rounders than by bowlers. Most top performers in the IPL naturally have a lot of Man of the Match awards under their belt.
Here is a team made of players who have won the Most Man of the Match awards in IPL.
Note: The players have been selected both on account of the number of MOMs which they have won as well as on the position in which they play.
#1 and #2 - Rohit Sharma (16) and Chris Gayle (20)
Rohit Sharma has won four IPL trophies, and is one of the most prolific batsmen in the league. While his stint with the Deccan Chargers until 2010 wasn't too great, after joining the Mumbai Indians in 2011, the opener has become their standout performer.
Rohit has won 16 MOM awards and has a splendid record while playing for the Mumbai Indians. He has scored 3323 runs in 124 matches, averaging 33.26 at a decent strike rate of 131.
Rohit has also been a great captain and has led the Mumbai Indians to victory thrice, in addition to one Champions League T20 trophy as well. The Mumbaikar has become the face of Mumbai Indians in more ways than one.
Chris Gayle, meanwhile, is probably the cleanest striker of the ball and has hit the most number of sixes in the IPL (292). He has made an impact in all the teams he has played for - including Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab - but the majority of his runs were scored while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Gayle is regarded as the most devastating T20 batsman of all time. He recorded the highest ever score in the IPL by hammering 175 against Pune Warriors India in 2013.
Gayle has scored 3994 runs averaging 41.17 at a great strike rate of 150.71, which is even more impressive considering the number of games he has played. He has won the most Man of The Match Awards in the IPL (20), and is a must have as the opener of the side.