5 Indian Players with the most Man of the Match awards in the history of IPL

It's a once-in-a-lifetime chance for athletes to show their worth and build a name for themselves in front of the world. The IPL has undoubtedly given us some key players an opportunity to perform while turning others into legends.

These cricketers play a critical part in assisting their team in dominating their opponents. It is not always the case that the player who scores the most runs or takes the most wickets receives the prize. It sometimes depends on the situation in which a specific cricketer has performed to lead his side to victory.

As the prestigious league is from India, a question arises in our mind; which Indians won the greatest number of Man of the match awards? 

Let's take a look at five cricketers who have won this prestigious award the greatest number of times:

1. Rohit Sharma

With the 18 Man of the Match awards, Rohit Sharma is the most awarded Indian player. He is perhaps the most successful captain in the history of the IPL, having led Mumbai Indians to five titles. Rohit's impactful innings can significantly reduce the chances of opposition.

 In the cash-rich league, the prodigious batsman has amassed 5725 runs at an average of 30.78 and a strike rate of 130.38. The Indian opener is a crucial batsman along with a great captain for Mumbai Indians.

2. MS Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's place in the Indian cricket team itself was a pleasure as everyone believed India couldn't lose until Dhoni was on strike. Similarly, his presence in the Chennai Super Kings team greatly benefited them. The former India captain is an authentic Indian Premier League legend.

The finisher has aided Chennai Super Kings in winning numerous matches from the most difficult of places, which is why his admirers regard him as a ‘legend’. One can never forget his performance against Rajasthan Royals in the past season of the IPL when he smashed 75 off just 46 balls after batting at 27 for 3.

MS Dhoni has appeared in the most IPL games (225), scoring 4838 runs at an average of 39.66 and a strike rate of 135.44. He is tied for fifth in IPL history with 17 “Player of the Match” awards. CSK has won 4 times under his leadership.

 He has won several matches for CSK by batting deep in the innings and is regarded as one of the best T20 finishers. Dhoni was not in form last year but was in great touch again this year which helped CSK in winning a few matches.

3. Virat Kohli

Aside from being the top run-scorer in IPL history, the run machine has won the Man of the Match award a total of 14 times. He was the skipper of Royal Challengers Bangalore for eight years before stepping down in 2021. 

The performance of Kohli was not up to the mark for two years, but he redeemed himself by scoring a match-winning knock against Gujarat Titans in the deciding game of his franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore. The knock also helped him in adding a Man of the Match award to his name.

4. Suresh Raina

Mr. IPL has received the Man of the Match award 14 times for his Chennai-based franchise CSK. He was an essential member of the CSK squad and was a key member of their four titles as he played crucial knocks for the team when they needed it the most.

His knock of 87 runs in just 25 balls against Punjab Kings was a special one and made us see a glimpse of how dangerous Raina could be when he gets going.

5. Yusuf Pathan

From the first three seasons of the IPL, Yusuf Pathan, the Indian all-rounder, was the breakout star. Pathan won the IPL in 2008 with the Rajasthan Royals playing for them. In 2011, he was acquired by the Kolkata Knight Riders, where he evolved into a devastating lower-order batter.

In the IPL, Yusuf Pathan was named Man of the Match 16 times, which gives him the third spot in an honorary list. Pathan won the IPL twice with KKR in 2012 and 2014, scoring 3204 runs in 174 matches. With his part-time off-spin, he picked up 42 wickets and scored one century, which is still remembered as one of the best in the IPL.