Top 5 players with most Player of the Match awards in IPL ft. Rohit Sharma
A Player of the Match (POTM) award in a cricket match is a distinguished recognition of a special performance by an individual that made a difference.
The Player of the Match award can be won by a batter, bowler, or an all-rounder, and it's not necessary that the accolade should be given to someone from the winning side.
For instance, Punjab Kings (PBKS) skipper Shikhar Dhawan was recently awarded the POTM award for his unbeaten 99 against SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) despite Punjab being on the losing side.
The POTM award in the Indian Premier League (IPL) is financially rewarding because of the lucrative sponsorship deals the BCCI ropes in for every season.
Let's look at the top five players to have won the most Player of the Match awards in IPL history.
#5 MS Dhoni - 17
The veteran wicketkeeper-batter has made several noteworthy contributions in establishing the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) as one of the powerhouses in the IPL, having led them to the title four times. MS Dhoni is well known for providing the finishing touches out of nowhere.
Dhoni has won 17 Player of the Match awards in 237 IPL matches so far for CSK and the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiant (RPS). He hasn't won the accolade over the last three seasons, with his last POTM award coming in IPL 2019 against the Delhi Capitals (DC).
#4 David Warner - 18
David Warner is the third-highest run-scorer in the IPL with 6090 runs in 166 matches at a strike rate of 139.61. The Australian is considered to be a destructive opener who can also anchor the innings.
Warner has played many phenomenal innings to singlehandedly help Delhi Capitals and SunRisers Hyderabad win matches. He has bagged 18 POTM awards in his glittering IPL career and has also won the Orange Cap three times.
The DC batter earned his last Player of the Match award last season when he scored 92 runs against his former IPL team SRH.
#3 Rohit Sharma - 19
Rohit Sharma was named Player of the Match in the recent IPL 2023 clash between the Delhi Capitals and the Mumbai Indians (MI) in Delhi. The Mumbai skipper scored 65 off 45 balls to help his side chase down a 173-run total.
It was Rohit's 19th POTM award in the IPL, surpassing his Delhi Capitals counterpart David Warner in winning the accolade most times amongst active cricketers.
Rohit's first POTM award came in IPL 2009 for his all-round brilliance against the Mumbai Indians. He top-scored (38) for the now-defunct Deccan Chargers and then claimed a hat-trick en route to his best IPL bowling figures of 4/6.
#2 Chris Gayle - 22
Chris Gayle destroyed several formidable bowling attacks with his brute batting style. The swashbuckling West Indies batter played in 13 seasons of the IPL for three different franchises and holds the feat of scoring the most centuries (six) in the cash-rich league.
Interestingly, Gayle has won the Player of the Match award in all six instances he reached the three-figure mark, including his sensational 175* against the now-defunct Pune Warriors in IPL 2013. Gayle has won a total of 22 POTMs from 142 IPL games.
Gayle's last POTM award came in IPL 2020 for his 51-run knock against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in Sharjah.
#1 AB de Villiers - 25
The South African legend tops the list for winning the most Player of the Match awards in IPL history. He started his IPL career with Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) under Virender Sehwag. But the versatile batter established himself as an all-time IPL great at Royal Challengers Bangalore.
AB de Villiers played numerous match-winning knocks for RCB as well as Delhi and finished his IPL journey with 25 POTM awards. He bagged the last one in IPL 2021 against Delhi Capitals for his 42-ball 75.
De Villiers amassed 5162 runs, including 40 fifties and three centuries, in 170 IPL innings at a strike rate of 151.69.