Top 10 cricketers who have won most 'Man Of The Match' awards in ODI cricket

Virat Kohli is the only active player amongst the top 10 cricketers who have won most MOTM awards in ODI cricket.

Every single player's dream in competitive sports remains contributing to the team’s winning cause. Or more than that, earning a reward for their superb game or contribution. A lot of match winners have come across the world in cricket who have had the chance to play a winning role in their team's win.

Legends like Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Ricky Ponting and many more have made their names in international cricket with their efforts and have been rewarded many times in One-day internationals. In the current generation, Virat Kohli is among the top players with the most man of the match awards won in their one-day international career. Let’s have a look at the top 10 players with the most man of the match awards in one-day internationals.

Here are the top 10 cricketers who have won most man of the match awards in One-day internationals:

10. Brian Lara (West Indies) - 30 Awards:

Former West Indian captain Brian Lara was one of the biggest match-winners for the men in maroon in the ODI format. He played 299 ODIs for West Indies and scored 10,405 runs. He ended his career with a staggering 61.82 average as a batter in the winning games for his team. He has 30 man of the match awards under his name in the one-day international format.

9. Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka) - 31 Awards:

Legendary Sri Lankan wicket-keeper Batter Kumar Sangakkara has 31 man of the match awards in his 404 one-day international career for his national side. Known for his classy cover drives, Sangakkara is the second-highest run-scorer in the ODI format with 14234 runs in 380 innings. Out of these, 8301 runs came in the winning cause, with 18 centuries in 201 innings.

8. Sourav Ganguly (India) - 31 Awards:

Former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly holds the special record of winning the man of the match four consecutive times in a series. Sourav Ganguly won four MOTM awards in a series against Pakistan in 1997, twice for his bowling and twice for his all-round effort. Ganguly is also one of the most successful ODI players in history, with 31 man of the match awards in 311 ODIs.

7. Viv Richards (West Indies) - 31 Awards:

There might be no match for this swagger in world cricket. With almost half of the ODIs played during the 80s and 90s, Viv Richards has bagged man of the match awards 31 times in just 187 one-day international matches. Richards has scored all 11 ODI centuries in the winning cause for West Indies. Out of 187 matches, West Indies won 132 ODIs with Richards in the playing XI.

6. Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) - 32 Awards:

A true match-winner Shahid Afridi had one of the most successful one-day international careers in his 19-years-long journey. The former Pakistani all-rounder has received the reward for his magnificent performance 32 times. Afridi has played 398 ODIs for Pakistan and scored 8064 runs with 351 sixes. He has also taken 395 wickets.

5. Ricky Ponting (Australia) - 32 Awards:

Under Ricky Ponting’s leadership, Australia were the most dominant side and won the 2003 and 2007 World Cups with an unbeaten campaign. Ricky Ponting was man of the match in the 2003 World Cup final against India at Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Ricky Ponting has 31 more such awards in his career, ending his tally at 32 MOTM awards in one-day internationals.

4. Jacques Kallis (South Africa) - 32 Awards:

South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis has been a legendary figure in the world of cricket for his all-round ability. Kallis was among those limited players who could be at the top facing the new ball and also share the workload in bowling with his full 10-overs spell. Kallis has won 32 man of the match awards in his ODI career in 328 one-day Internationals.

3. Virat Kohli (India) - 41 Awards:

India’s premier ODI batter, Virat Kohli, remains the only player challenging the top 2 in this list with his consistent good work in this format. Virat Kohli won his 41st man of the match award for his magnificent century against South Africa in ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Kohli has so far played 289 one-day internationals, and he has been a match-winner for India since he made his debut in the format.

2. Sanath Jayasuriya (Sri Lanka) - 48 Awards:

A large part of the credit for Sri Lanka’s success in this format goes to their former captain and opener, Sanath Jayasuriya. Sanath was Sri Lanka’s X-factor in their World Cup 1996 victory as well. He has represented Sri Lanka in one-day internationals 445 times and won the man of the match award 48 times in his career. Sanath has scored 13430 runs with 270 sixes.

1. Sachin Tendulkar (India) - 62 Awards:

You may find this name at the top or in the top 5 of almost every single batting record in the world. Sachin Tendulkar has won more man of the match awards than anyone else. Anyone coming close to equalling his numbers looks like a distant dream. In his 24-years-old ODI career, Sachin has played 463 ODIs and scored 18,426 runs. He is the leading run-scorer in test and ODI cricket.

(All stats updated till 5th November, 2023)