IPL is that one tournament that enables the players to show their skills and wins significant matches. The player who has the most impactful performance get awarded the Player of the Match. Apart from making the most runs or picking the highest wickets, it depends on a specific circumstance on which the player performs.
Let’s take a look at the top 5 players who have been awarded this honour in the Indian Premier League.
Top 5 players with the most “Man of the Match” awards in IPL history
1. AB de Villiers – 23
The South African cricketer is known for his finishing skills in the tournament. He has won 23 awards in the league history which is the most by a player. He mustered 4849 runs in 156 innings with an amazing strike rate of 151.91.
2. Chris Gayle – 22
Chris Gayle has had one of the strongest performances in the T20 format. If Chris Gayle scores big, then half of the match is won there. He has won the Player of the Match award 22 times in the league. He scored 4772 runs with a strike rate of 150.11. He has scored six hundred and 31 half-centuries in the tournament.
3. Rohit Sharma – 18
Rohit Sharma has won the “Man of the Match” 18 times and is the first player to feature on this list. He’s not only the most successful skipper in IPL but he is also a terrific batter. He secured 5230 runs in the tournament with an average of 31.31 and a strike rate of 130.61.
4. David Warner – 17
David Warner won his award 17 times, the same as Dhoni but in fewer matches (142). Under his captaincy, SRH won the tournament in 2016 where he scored 848 runs. Warner scored 5254 runs at a strike rate of 141.54 with an average of 42.71. He has also scored the most fifties, about 48 in the entire tournament.
5. MS Dhoni – 17
MS Dhoni has played a total of 204 games in IPL and mustered 4632 runs at an average of 40.99 and strike rate of 136.75. He has also won the “Player of the Match” award 17 times in IPL. CSK won the title in 2010, 2011 and 2018. He has won many matches for CSK and is considered one of the greatest finishers of the T20 format.
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