Top 5 players with the most Player of the Series Awards in Tests ft. Ravichandran Ashwin
Winning the Player of the Series award in a Test series is a massive achievement, which requires brilliant fitness and consistency. Considering the number of ups and downs that happen across a Test series, it is difficult for any player to win the award on multiple occasions.
Here's a list of the five players who have won the most Player of the Series awards in cricket's longest format:
#5 Sir Richard Hadlee - 8 awards
Regarded by many as one of the greatest all-rounders in New Zealand's cricket history, Sir Richard Hadlee occupies the fifth position on this list. Hadlee represented the Blackcaps across 86 matches and 33 series.
Out of those 33 series, Hadlee won the Man of the Series award eight times. He played his last Test match for New Zealand back in 1990, but no other Kiwi has been able to match his record.
#4 Imran Khan - 8 awards
Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan owns the fourth position on this list for winning eight Player of the Series awards in 28 series. In all, Khan represented the Pakistan team in 88 Tests from 1971 to 1992.
Notably, in 1988, he took 23 wickets in a series against the mighty West Indies and was the Player of the Series. A year before that, he was the Player of the Series when Pakistan won a Test series against England in England for the first time.
#3 Jacques Kallis - 9 awards
Former South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis is often considered 'the most complete cricketer' in the sport's history. Kallis played 166 matches across 61 Test series for the Proteas.
In those 61 series, he won the Player of the Series award on nine occasions. One of his best performances came in the Test series against India in 2000, where he scored 136 runs and took five wickets to help South Africa win by 2-0.
#2 Muttiah Muralitharan - 11 awards
Muttiah Muralitharan held the record for the Most Player of the Series award in Test cricket for a long time. He won the award 11 times while playing 133 matches across 61 series for Sri Lanka.
In 2007, when Bangladesh visited Sri Lanka for a three-match Test series, Muralitharan destroyed the visitors' batting lineup by taking 26 wickets at an impressive average of 10.85.
#1 Ravichandran Ashwin - 11 awards
Ravichandran Ashwin recently overtook Muttiah Muralitharan to secure the first position on this list. The star Indian all-rounder won his 11th Player of the Series award a few days ago against Bangladesh for his fantastic all-round display.
While Ashwin and Muralitharan have won the same number of awards, Ashwin is at the top of this list because he achieved the feat in 42 series, while Muralitharan played 61 series. If Ashwin wins another such award, he will become the undisputed number one on this list.