Explained: Why Suryakumar Yadav won Most Valuable Player award in IPL 2025 despite not scoring most runs

Suryakumar Yadav scored 717 runs in IPL 2025, 42 less than the Orange Cap winner Sai Sudharsan.

At the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 final presentation ceremony, Suryakumar Yadav received a significant honor for winning the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.

Even though Mumbai Indians (MI) lost the second qualifier to Punjab Kings (PBKS) on Sunday (June 1) and did not advance to the final, Suryakumar was awarded the prize. Suryakumar is the first MI player to win the honor since 2013, and is only the second MI player to win the MVP award, after Sachin Tendulkar, who claimed the title in 2010.

Interestingly, Gujarat Titans (GT) player Sai Sudharsan earned the Orange Cap for most runs with 759 runs in his kitty, while Suryakumar finished as the tournament’s second-highest run scorer. In 15 games, Suryakumar amassed 717 runs with a strike rate of 167.91 and an average of 65.18.

How did Suryakumar Yadav win the Most Valuable Player award?

Unlike many tournaments where a committee decides the Player of the Tournament (POTT), the IPL uses a unique points-based system to determine its MVP, which is the equivalent of POTT. Until 2012, a regular POTT was awarded, but from 2013 season, the MVP format replaced it.

Suryakumar Yadav topped this year’s chart with 320.5 points, closely followed by Sudharsan with 311.0. No one else breached the 300-point mark, with Yashasvi Jaiswal finishing third at 273.

Interestingly, despite RCB winning the title, none of their players made it to the top 10. In fact, since the MVP system began in 2013, only Sunil Narine of Kolkata Knight Riders last year has won it while also being part of the championship-winning team.

As per the scoring system, a player earns 3.5 points each for a six or a wicket. A dot ball and a run-out fetch one point each. Players are also awarded 2.5 points for every four hits, catches taken, and stumping completed.

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